Question: When my divorce is finalized in December, I will revert to my former name. I am already booked on a European cruise for April under my current name and passport number. I realize I cannot apply for a new passport before the April departure because the cruise line has my current passport information. I [...]
Selected by jenleo
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LA Times Travel
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Are expedited passports worth the extra cost?
7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am -
Two California luxury hotels added to AAA’s 2010 Five Diamond Award list
6 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmOpen less than a year, the Resort at Pelican Hill in Orange County like all hotels, has struggled against the tides of a beleaguered economy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t take a great compliment. The luxury coastal property is one of two California resorts that have danced into the exclusive ranks of AAA’s just-released [...] -
National World War II Museum rallies the troops, plus Tom Hanks, for premiere
6 Nov 2009 | 10:14 am -
New York City in winter: Hotel bargains, post-holiday ice rink and freebies
6 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amCold it may be come December and January, but in New York City this winter, you might find comfort in the plentiful hotel deals on offer. And as always, attractions in the Big Apple can be found for cheap, or free, for the resourceful traveler. Hotels At the Pod Hotel, on East 51st Street at 3rd Avenue, [...] -
The Michael Jackson theme park that never was, but still could be
5 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pmMichael Jackson dreamed of a theme park based on the J.M. Barrie story of “Peter Pan,” complete with looping roller coasters, 3-D flight simulators, water rides, stunt shows, dinner theater, nighttime spectaculars and hotels. The Disney and More blog has the full story of how the dream nearly became reality, including blueprints and concept art from [...]
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USAToday Travel
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Ski.com: 10 affordable ski resorts
7 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amSki.com has come up with a list of what it calls the '10 most affordable ski resorts', including Whistler-Blackcomb, site of ... -
Visa snafu snarls honeymoon, social networking saves the day
6 Nov 2009 | 4:46 pmIt's a compelling storyline: Starry-eyed couple books $2,000 honeymoon on Expedia to St. Petersburg, Russia, and winds up stranded ... -
Berlin restores section of Wall to 1989 appearance
6 Nov 2009 | 2:28 pmThe Berlin Wall's longest remaining stretch has been restored to its state of nearly two decades ago after artists repainted ... -
Second homes: In a global downturn, Toronto's a bubble
6 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pmMore than 100,000 condos have been built since the late 1990s, most of them in gleaming high-rises and more are on the way. -
Global travelers rank United States No. 1
6 Nov 2009 | 2:26 pmAfter trailing perennial favorite Australia, the USA earned the No. 1 spot for the first time in this year's Country Brand Index.
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USATODAY.com - Today In the Sky
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Airplane part falls onto front lawn near NYC
6 Nov 2009 | 11:43 amUPDATE (2:43 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 6):Â The Associated Press updates the story, saying the falling plane part came from a Delta Air Lines jet. ... -
Air Zimbabwe plane smashes into wild pigs
6 Nov 2009 | 11:24 amThat's from The Associated Press, which writes: -
Name that airport ...
6 Nov 2009 | 10:32 amHere is this week's "name that airport" photo. -
10 great places for plane geeks and aviation enthusiasts
6 Nov 2009 | 10:07 amIn case you missed this story in today's newspaper, USA TODAY's weekly "10 great"Â list pays homage to Aviation History Month (November). USA ... -
United turns to star designer for new uniforms
6 Nov 2009 | 9:46 amUnited Airlines flight attendants, pilots and other personnel are getting new uniforms. They'll be created by star designer Cynthia Rowley, ...
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Gadling
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UK online bookings to grow this year
7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amFiled under: Business, Europe, United Kingdom, Internet ToolsYes, you read that correctly - online bookings are expected to finish higher in the United Kingdom this year! Even in this dismal economy - which has been particularly brutal for the travel industry - the web guys have something to celebrate. Sure, the forecast is only for 3 percent, but that beats the losses being posted elsewhere. Travel industry research firm PhoCusWright's new study puts the amount spent on leisure and unmanaged business travel (i.e., employee picks for himself) at £17.1 billion for 2009, comprising 45… -
Gadling app review - Virgin Atlantic Flying Without Fear (iPhone/iPod Touch)
7 Nov 2009 | 8:30 amFiled under: AirlinesSeveral days ago, Katie mentioned a new application from Virgin Atlantic called "Flying Without Fear". I'm always on the lookout for new and innovative travel apps, so I took this one for a spin. The first thing you notice in the application is how well it is designed - the colors are all in the familiar Virgin tints (red and purple) and navigation is a breeze. The best place to start is with the introduction video. Richard Branson himself welcomes you to the application, and lets you know he'd love to meet you "up there" some day. Part two of the course is an explanation… -
The Spice Isle: What the Grenada guidebooks might not tell you
7 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amFiled under: Grenada, Caribbean Grenada is so off the radar for a lot of Americans that it leaves a lot to be learned about the country. (For one, how it's pronounced. Answer: "Gren-ay-da.") But let's look at the most practical advice that'll come in handy when you pay the island-country a visit:Keep your swimsuits to the beach. An indecent exposure law forbids it elsewhere. Cover up, even if it's just a little bit. Don't wear camouflage. It's illegal to wear it in any color or format. Ask before taking that photo of someone. It's good tact in any situation (although goodbye to spontaneity),… -
Man accidently ejects himself from plane
7 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amFiled under: Stories, South Africa, Airports, NewsThis is a what NOT to do story if you're ever in a Pilatus PC-7 Mk II. Do not, I repeat, do not, use the black and yellow handle located between your legs to steady yourself. Not even if you're pretending to be Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun. Pull on that handle and you'll find yourself out of the plane before you can say, "Ooops, I shouldn't have done that." That handle is what the pilots and passengers can use to activate the ejector seat in order to shoot out from the plane in case of an emergency. In the case of this recent mishap, the… -
Slacker Personal Radio comes to Android
7 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amFiled under: Gadling Gear ReviewThis has been a pretty big week for Android fans. Verizon Wireless became the third US operator to hop on board the Android bandwagon, and did so with not one, but two different Android devices. The Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris are bother very impressive phones. Of course, a good smartphone becomes a great smartphone when developers create high quality applications for the platform. One of those apps to be released this week is the Slacker Personal Radio player. It appeared in the Android market on Thursday, and is free of charge. Using the app is free…
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Jaunted
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The Top Five Of Everything, From Free iPhone Apps To Musical Attractions
6 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pmFAME: Five Ways To Top Off Frequent Flyer Miles Without Flying Five Travel Gear Companies That Give Back To The World This Fall's 5 Best Totally Free Travel iPhone AppsAlso: The Top 5 Twitter Travel Lists Out There Now; The 5 Best iPhone Apps For Travel Photography; Five Unexpected and Interactive Musical Attractions LAME: Ryanair Is Taking Over The British Skies...Noooo! Cops Nab Couple Who Swiped 1,000 Bags From Phoenix Airport Beer Ban On Select Qantas Flights Is Un-AustralianAlso: Everyone's going to Ghana for health reasons -
United Will Hit The Runway In 2011 With Cynthia Rowley-Designed Uniforms
6 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pmIt's amazing what you can learn on Twitter on a Friday afternoon, namely that United Airlines is all in a tizzy today over the announcement that a new look is coming for their flight attendants: uniforms by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley. Already, the Chicago Tribune is on the case, discovering that the redesign is the "first time in recent history that United has tapped a well-known designer for the job." We're not so surprised however; Cynthia Rowley is a Chicago native, and United is not only based in Chicago, but calls the Willis (née Sears) Tower home. The new uniforms won't come until… -
Expedia Shocks Travel Industry And Customers, Actually Lowers Fees
6 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pmExpedia just announced they're waiving their $20 fee for the 7% of Americans who book their itineraries over the phone, establishing themselves in a niche and sticking a finger in the eyes of competitors. Airline centers mostly charge $5-$35 for telephone bookings—Southwest is the only exception—while Orbitz and Travelocity charge $25 per ticket. Priceline doesn't even offer that option. This won't be much use to us, since our calls to booking agents are limited to rants about the impossibility of reserving rewards travel these days. But Expedia had already eliminated flight booking… -
Delta Gives Free In-Flight WiFi For The Holidays To Trick You Into Shopping eBay
6 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pmIf Google made a smart business decision by facilitating free holiday in-flight wifi on Virgin America—more Internet users means more revenue for Google—then the deal eBay just sealed with Delta is positively inspired. Starting Nov. 24 and lasting through a week, the auction site/retail outlet/digital store will be providing passengers with a free promotional code so they can get online via Gogo. The only catch is that the first thing those passengers will see as they soar online through the crowded skies is the eBay frontpage. The better to do their holiday shopping, you see: -
For Whom Would You Take A Middle Seat?
6 Nov 2009 | 1:09 pmNobody likes the aisle. That's what we discovered when we asked Jaunted readers what seat they preferred on a plane, and we weren't surprised at all. Given the opportunity to be penned in by two strangers, most people say "pass." Yet, ending up in the middle seat happens to all of us sometimes, and sometimes it's even by choice. Maybe you're a lot nicer person than we are and you switch seats without complaining or even looking at your fellow traveler. In which case, we salute you and hope we can sit next to you soon. But even you, Nice Traveler, probably have your secret rules as to for whom…
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THIS JUST IN (BUDGET TRAVEL)
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Video: San Francisco aerial shots, amazingly up-close
7 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amRemote-control (RC) helicopters are smaller, quieter and much more nimble than ordinary helicopters, allowing them to take absurdly close-up shots. In the sample video below, the camera nearly skims the surface of water between the docked boats in a marina near Fisherman's Wharf. It hovers with a bird's eye view over The Cliff House on the California coastline, too. Then it sweeps the city's skyline at dusk. Aerial video - San Francisco from Jason Lam on Vimeo. A company called SkyShutter has taken one of these RC helicopters and added a camera equipped with "gyro-stabilized remote-controlled… -
Last Chance: Mad Men-themed trip sweepstakes!
6 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pmIf, like me, you're both holding your breath for Sunday night's season finale of Mad Men and wishing it would never come, there is a sweepstakes here with your name on it. In an ouroboros-like circle of marketing genius (or to television purists, perhaps expertly sinister product placement), the Hilton Hotels chain—whose founder, Conrad Hilton, was a major character in the show’s current season—is running a “Live Like a Mad Man” sweepstakes through November 15, 2009. The grand prize is pretty impressive: a four-day, three-night New York City getaway including airfare for… -
Where to eat and sleep in Costa Rica?
6 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pmWe're adding brand-new pages on Costa Rica and need your help to build them. Our stories regularly report on great finds, including Arenal Lodge, whose rooms have spectacular views of the volcano, from $99; Caballo Negro, a café that features local artwork and serves pasta with macadamia nut pesto; and Hotel Esperanza, which offers spa services, water sports, and horseback riding, from $88. Share your favorite Costa Rica restaurants and hotels by posting a comment below. Keep in mind that we're most interested in affordable places that have some style and personality—and the more… -
NYC: Free ice-skating at Bryant Park
6 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pmThe holiday season really is the city’s most wonderful time of year, and it's already getting in motion. At lunchtime today, the Pond at Bryant Park and 125 surrounding holiday shops opened. Passersby crowded around the rink, even climbing onto the park’s café chairs to glimpse the synchronized Haydenettes and other professional skaters. Workers were putting the finishing touches on Celsius, a two-story rinkside restaurant and lounge. Open through January 24, 2010, the Pond has a prime midtown location between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues—in view of the Chrysler… -
Delta offers free Wi-Fi over Thanksgiving
6 Nov 2009 | 9:20 amAir travel over Thanksgiving is no picnic, we know. But here's a perk we just heard about: Delta, in a promotion with eBay, will offer free Wi-Fi on more than 250 planes flying domestic routes over the holiday. The promotion starts on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and lasts for a week. As passengers board, gate agents will offer up the promo code that will work on the Wi-Fi payment page. The promo code will also be available after boarding. Read AdvertisingAge's full take on the promotion.
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HotelChatter -
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Whether You're Rocking Kicks or Stilettos, Make Sure You Get Our Memo
6 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pmYes. We just referenced "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. SUITE: Best of In-Room Coffee Makers Inside The Bardessono Resort Five Best Hotels in DC for Under $150 ALSO: Tips for Using Your Credit Card Points to Book Hotel Stays HOSTEL: The Space Hotel The Ultimate Swine Flu Hotel Lindsay Lohan Brings Drama to Morocco Hotel Opening ALSO: Strike Two for -
Starwood Offers Up to 50% Off Regular Rates—But You Have to Book Soon
6 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pmPut this on your weekend “to do” list: think about where you might like to spend the holidays or a winter getaway. If your answer is a Starwood property, and you’re ready to charge what will be a non-refundable rate now, you could save yourself some serious holiday cocktail cash. Until November 10—next Tuesday—you can score up to 50% off the regular rates at a slew of Starwood properties. And while there are blackout dates, there are still some hotels with availability for the holidays. Even better, when you use one of the Starwood property’s online booking pages… -
Cernobbio, Lombardy: This Week In Hotel Lust: Villa D'Este, Lake Como
6 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pmViews of the lake and villa If comments made in recent months by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are to be believed, then "the recession is very likely over." Most of us continue to scoff in disbelief, and inversely, there are others that may have missed the memo that the economy was in upheaval at all. We're talking about the well-monied types that have continued to swipe their Black AmEx cards with reckless abandon—on Michelin-rated dinners, sports cars, and certainly pricey vacations and hotel suites. Even for those of us sans trust funds or Swiss bank accounts, reading about… -
New York: Taking The Bad With The Good: Reviews of The Surrey So Far
6 Nov 2009 | 10:44 amWhen we had the chance to check out The Surrey Hotel’s $60-million “re-creation,” we were impressed by the sheer prettiness of the new guest rooms. But not everyone shares our take. Over at the UK site, Globalista Travel Journal, this week The Surrey copped a dressing down for what the nameless reviewer called “a pointless refurbishment.” In the nature of being “fair and balanced,” we decided to compare Globalista’s opinion to recent reviews on TripAdvisor. Let’s start with those Gloablista grumbles, shall we? The things that ticked them off… -
Hilton Gets In On the Paris Hotel Package Bonanza—With Wine
6 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amOK, if it weren’t already obvious that we should be taking a winter jaunt to Paris, here we have yet another Paris hotel package deal that sounds, well, délicieuse. And that's not because of its sexy hotel name. This time the package revolves around something we find it very hard to resist: French wine. This month is all about Beaujolais Nouveau. And even though it’s the time when your local wine store starts accepting its shipments of Beaujolais, surely a glass or three of the stuff would taste better in the mother land. That’s what Hilton is banking on with its new Wine…
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Holy Kaw!
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My plug is better than yours
7 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amWho’s got the best power plug? Crave UK answers the question with their tongue somewhat in cheek. Could there be any bias with their choice for the #1 plug? I guess the writers don’t travel much and don’t care about size. Also, perhaps anthropomorphism is a bit too highly ranked? More intelligent ways to be shocked. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
25 wackiest NYC Marathon costumes
6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pmRunning 26.2 miles while sucking down polluted urban air wasn’t quite difficult enough for some jogging fools competing in the New York City Marathon last week, so a handful of creative folks decided to extend Halloween an extra day and run the race while donning costumes. Photogs spotted clowns, super heroes, Uncle Sam, nuns and even an apparently alive Michael Jackson. Lucky for you, you didn’t have to travel all the way to the Big Apple to check out all the shenanigans because Buzz Feed has collected images of the 25 best costumes at the 2009 NYC marathon. Enjoy (and feel lazy… -
Tech that refuses to die
6 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pmCall them the Jason Vorhees of technology—gadgets that just won’t die, no matter how many times you kill ‘em with a chain saw. Tech moves fast,—remember, like 10 years ago you probably had a pager in your pocket—but why is it that some technology seems completely resistant to kicking the bucket? From cables that remain tangled under your desk to the hipsters’ audio format of choice, vinyl, CNet highlights eight tech items that refuse to meet the Grim Reaper. Even Twitter makes a surprise entry on the list. Check out the full list, including why the sans… -
How to change
6 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pmWant to change? Then, according to Peter Bregman, just change one thing. In his case he stopped consuming large amounts of sugar. For me, it would be carbohydrates. But the article isn’t really about dieting—it’s about how to become a better business person, so read it and reap. More Lifehacks. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Guess who is a Glamour woman of the year?
6 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pmIt’s going to be a long time before I post about anything in Glamour, but this is a special occasion. The magazine named Google’s Marissa Mayer as one of the women of the year for 2009. Joining her is “refuse to use Bluetooth” Maria Shriver and others. The only reason Matt Cutts didn’t win is that he’s a man—despite the concerted efforts of SEO consultants around the world to game the voting.. More, albeit less glamourous, news about Google. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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The Perrin Post
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A South American Vacation For Wine and Food Lovers
5 Nov 2009 | 11:13 amFor a 10-12 day trip with wonderful properties, shopping, food and wine, and beautiful scenery to boot, I would recommend combining Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Chilean wine country (with a visit to Santiago, as well). -
A Round-the-World Ticket for Travel to Australia and France
5 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amResearch the round-the-world fares on offer from the Star Alliance as well as Skyteam international airline partnerships and see which provides the best routing for the best price for your travel dates. -
On Using Miles for a Business-Class Upgrade to Europe
4 Nov 2009 | 10:14 amA reader wants to fly to London in business class and is wondering how good chances are that she'll be able to upgrade using mileage. -
Got Ideas for a November or December Escape from Atlanta?
4 Nov 2009 | 9:05 amIf you prefer to drive rather than fly, some obvious options for culture vultures are Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Georgia. But if you're looking for a beach-resort-style break, since you've got a good chunk of time, consider the Caribbean -
Got Ideas for a One-Night Celebration Getaway in the New York City Area?
4 Nov 2009 | 5:54 am"Can you think of any ideas for a 40th birthday celebration? We are a group of friends who live 30 minutes outside of Manhattan. Any ideas for a one-night getaway for 6 or 8 couples?"
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CrunchGear
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Services made flesh: 10 weird – and not so weird – “avatar” gadgets
7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amThe dawn of the 21st century brought us a problem: we had lots of data, but no real way to bring that data into the real world. We could feasibly lug laptops and phones around, but did they ever do exactly what we needed them to do? Don’t answer that. Manufacturers, in their wisdom, decided to do something about it and so devices like the Peek – for email – and the CueCat – for nothing – were born. Here’s a look at ten ‘avatar’ gadgets, gadgets that brought a web service into the real world, for better or worse. Twitterpeek – We should be… -
Amazon steps up and matches Walmart’s Xbox 360 deal
7 Nov 2009 | 5:52 amThank the gaming gods for retail competition. You know the Xbox 360 Walmart is running today, right? Yeah, Amazon is going to match it. At 9:00 am EST and 3:00 pm EST Amazon will give you a a $100 promotional code when you purchase an Xbox 360 Arcade for $199. You better be sitting in front of your computer all signed in and ready to go before the two times though. The deal is good only for a limited quantity. [via Cheap Ass Gamer and Gizmodo] -
The Back Burner: Things we didn’t post this week
7 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amA big thank you to everybody for filling our tips-at-crunchgear-dot-com inbox with wonderful, unique, and newsworthy items. Here are a few that we missed. Dear Andrey, Can I call you Andrey? That would be lovely, Andrey. Sometimes in this crazy world we call blogging, we forget to step back and take the time to enjoy some good old fashioned Church music from Russian singing groups. We would actually love it if you could show up around holiday time. The only challenge will be that all of us who work here at CrunchGear live in different parts of the country, but if you could sing inside the… -
Daily Crunch: Bread Line Edition
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amimage source Toyjector: Cute mini projector to be released in Japan Does anyone in tech pay attention to unemployment numbers? Hard to buy that new gizmo when you don’t have a job, right? Exclusive video of the Litl Webbook You are not worthy of the 18-button OpenOfficeMouse (and it has an analog stick) Siren.gif: Microsoft COFEE law enforcement tool leaks all over the Internet~! -
Zune Pass troubles? Users report Zune purchases are busted
6 Nov 2009 | 8:39 pmZune down! The Zune support forums are awash with users claiming various issues with Zune subscription media. Songs are not showing up, or if they do, they aren’t playing. Sounds like an authentication issue to me, and those happen every once in a while — but for weeks on end? Any of you fine folks out there having trouble? I’ll see if I can scare up any info from the Zune team and post an update later. [Thanks, Aditya]
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Travel Rants Blog
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Countdown to Travel BlogCamp 2009
4 Nov 2009 | 4:35 amA few years ago could you imagine travel companies talking about their social media experiences to a room full of people from around the travel industry? Next Tuesday, both the sponsors and speakers will be interacting with the audience and sharing their experiences at Travel BlogCamp. Looking at the attendee list it should be an interesting night with plenty of discussion and networking. Speakers Joining me will be: Murray Harrold – Advantage Travel Joel Brandon-Bravo – Frommer’s Guillaume Thevenot – Hotel Blogs Eva Keogan – Lastminute.com Moderating the evening… -
Flight taxes rise again but are consumers really bothered
2 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pmAs expected air passenger duty increased and despite all the huff and puff coming out the travel and airline industry when the increase was first announced it seems to have gone quiet. The majority of consumers will pay the flight tax without little fuss and the talk that we won’t go abroad is nonsense. Making flying greener While my main gripe is that the revenue generated from air passenger duty has never gone to help make flying more greener. I will continue to take my holiday abroad. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons but primarily when I go on holiday I want a change of scenery and… -
Shaping the future of Travel Rants
1 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pmI have been writing this blog for over four years and I have enjoyed it, sure it has had its ups and downs. I write primarily from my own experiences and thoughts about travel, but also I receive a lot of emails from consumers which spark me into a post about the travel industry. Looking at travel from another perspective Some people have been very critical that I am always writing about the negative aspect of travel which confuses me because surely there’s so much nice positive content out there that you need someone to look at it from a different perspective. Keeping busy You may have…
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World Hum
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What We Loved This Week: ‘Up in the Air,’ Mariachi and ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’
6 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pmEva Holland I loved buying my first car. I’ve been plotting a trans-Canada road trip/relocation, from Ontario up to the Yukon, and now—with my tentative start date just 10 days away—I’ve got the wheels to make it happen. -
Video You Must See: From Denver to Singapore in Five Minutes
6 Nov 2009 | 10:44 am(Via Kottke) -
Photo You Must See: Catching Air in Switzerland
6 Nov 2009 | 9:07 amREUTERS/Denis Balibouse A snowboarder performs a jump during a halfpipe event at the Snowboard World Cup in Saas Fee, Switzerland. -
Photos: 10 All-American Must Sees for All Americans
6 Nov 2009 | 8:07 amFlyover America's Sophia Dembling shares the sights that will make you swoon -
‘Ivory Coast = France = Japan’
6 Nov 2009 | 7:02 amThat equation comes from a James Fallows post in the Atlantic, and he’s talking about language habits. That is: in France and Japan, the deep-down assumption is that the language is pure and difficult, that foreigners can’t really learn it, and that one’s attitude toward their attempts is either French hauteur or the elaborately over-polite and therefore inevitably patronizing Japanese response to even a word or two in their language. “Nihongo jouzu! Your Japanese is so good!”
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The Daily Traveler by Condé Nast Traveler
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Anderson Cooper Gets Regal in Taj's Rambagh Palace
6 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amThe Taj's Rambagh Palace: Fit for a Vanderbilt by Beata L. Santora If there's one person who knows a little something about travel, it's CNN anchor (and resident Silver Fox) Anderson Cooper. Growing up a Vanderbilt, Cooper could have simply... -
The Zeitz Foundation's Getaways That Do Good
2 Nov 2009 | 8:05 amJochen Zeitz is one of the most successful CEOs in the world, and he didn't start running Puma until the ripe old age of 30. So, when he contacted me last year about creating a network of sustainable, socially conscious retreats, I was extremely interested in learning more. -
Rihanna Aboard the Oasis of the Seas
30 Oct 2009 | 9:53 amPhoto: @N08/ / CC BY 2.0 by Beata L. Santora Cruising enthusiasts have had their feathers in a twist for months, nay years, since Royal Caribbean's announcement that it would build the largest, tallest, priciest cruise ship ever. Well, the... -
Watch Hill's Ocean House Reborn
28 Oct 2009 | 7:51 amSummers on the shore, black-tie affairs, decked out ballrooms—the glorious yellow hotel known as the Ocean House that gazed over Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for almost 150 years harkened back to an earlier time. -
Brooklyn's Henry Public
26 Oct 2009 | 7:27 amThe latest must try on my Brooklyn list? Henry Public, the recent opening from friends Matt Dawson and Jen Albano who made Brooklyn Social my go-to stop in Carroll Gardens.
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Newyorkology
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Yankees 2009 ticker-tape parade pictures and video
7 Nov 2009 | 4:22 amA massive crowd gathered in Lower Manhattan on Friday morning to celebrate the New York Yankees’ 27th World Series win. How big was the crowd? Probably somewhere between “hundreds of thousands” (New York Times) to 1.5 million (Major League Baseball.) If you missed it, see NY1’s 97-minute parade video online. Panoramas.dk sent photographer Jook Leung into the canyon to produce a couple Yankees Parade 360-panoramas. (Inset, upper right) And thanks to @internetweek on Twitter, which pointed eyeballs to MDF’s “Most New York photo from parade.” More parade… -
Yankees to parade up Canyon of Heroes 11 a.m. Friday
4 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pmA parade honoring the World Champion Yankees will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday and head north up the Canyon of Heroes, according to a taped message on 311, the city’s official information service. The parade will be followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza. Update: An early-morning press release from the mayor’s office offered a few more details abut Friday’s ticker-tape parade. The parade will begin on Broadway at Battery Place at 11 a.m. and continue northbound up Broadway toward Chambers Street. The parade will be followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, at which Mayor… -
Museums open late for fall/winter 2009/10 in NYC
4 Nov 2009 | 7:28 amMany museums stay open late at least one night a week, often in conjunction with free admission hours, live music and cocktails. Here are the New York City museums with late-closing hours listed by day of the week: Mondays New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex at Grand Central Terminal - 8 p.m. (always free) Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame Annex - 8 p.m., with last admission at 7 p.m. ($24.50) Tuesdays China Institute Gallery - 8 p.m. (free 6 to 8 p.m.) Society of Illustrators - 8 p.m. (always free) New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex at Grand Central Terminal - 8 p.m. (always free)… -
Unlike Paris, NYC's free bikes survived the summer
3 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amIn Paris, more than 80 percent of the bike-sharing cycles have been trashed or stolen, the New York Times reported over the weekend. In New York, it’s an entirely diffent story. Downtown Alliance’s 30 free bikes were used more than 7,000 times this past summer. There were “no thefts and no vandalism,” a spokesman told NewYorkology on Monday. The free rentals were available in two-and-a-half-hour windows from May 13 through Sept. 30 through Bike and Roll. The catch was that you needed to provide a credit card, which would be billed for the bike if you never returned. -
Met Opera, NYC Opera offer rush seats for $25 or less
3 Nov 2009 | 6:16 amSome of the best seats in the house at the Metropolitan Opera are available for a mere $20 through the Varis Rush Tickets all season. All regular performances Mondays through Thursdays will offer 150 orchestra seats for $20. The catch is the tickets go on sale only at the Met Opera box office starting two hours before curtain, subject to availability. An extra 50 tickets are reserved for seniors (65 or over) at the $20 price. The senior tickets are available starting at noon on the day of each performance and may be reserved online or by calling (212) 362-6000. The $20 tickets are not…
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Intelligent Travel: From National Geographic Traveler
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Today's Pic: Harmony in Mozambique
6 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pmNational Geographic Magazine's International Photo Contest has just ended, and the judges have some tough decisions to make. But you can be a judge, too, and vote for your favorite image in the People, Places, and Nature categories. Here's last year's People winner, taken by Ilvy Njiokiktjien in Mozambique:The verdict: "This is one of those wonderful moments when everything comes together visually," says freelance photojournalist Maggie Steber. "There is a musical rhythm to the image." National Geographic design editor Darren Smith agrees: "The composition is intriguing with the mirroring of… -
Building a Greener Greensburg
6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amLast year, we wrote about a progressive green community with a fitting name--Greensburg, Kansa--that continues to set new standards in eco-development. After a May 2007 tornado ravaged this town of 1,500 residents, the community voted to rebuild Greensburg as energy-efficient as possible. According to a New York Times article, community leaders' goals were to "build a sense of economic dynamism that would generate new businesses and jobs and persuade Greensburg's talented young people not to leave." One of the newest additions to the town, the Sun Chips Business Incubator (above), is… -
Presented By:
6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am -
I Heart My City: Andy's Edinburgh
6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amHello city lovers! Andy Hayes, author of the Edinburgh Walking Guides, takes us on a stroll through his favorite 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!).Edinburgh, Scotland is My City The first place I take a visitor from out of town is a walk down the Royal Mile. It's the heart of the city… -
Daily Radar: 11.06.09
6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThe hills are alive, with the sound of... Google? Google recently opened its offices in Zurich, Switzerland, and certainly knew how to integrate Swiss culture into the office, as evident by these meeting rooms--in the form of ski gondolas--above. [FastCompany]In other European news, the Munich Airport was recently rated Number 5 in the world, according to a recent Skytrax survey. One of the main reasons it fared so well? Its abilities to reduce stress. The airport has a visitors' park where travelers can take walks, mini golf, and in summer, sit on a beach. The airport also has a brewery with…
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Travel + Leisure: Articles
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Party Pictures: Up in the Air
6 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amPhotos from the screening and after-party for George Clooney’s new movie, <em>Up in the Air</em>, hosted by T+L and <em>Executive Travel Magazine</em>. -
Coco Chanel Tour of France
4 Nov 2009 | 8:45 amShe gave us the classic Chanel suit and the little black dress, and now Coco Chanel—la femme—has proved her staying power thanks to the recent films Coco Before Chanel and Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky. With the customized Coco Before Chanel Tour (The French Experience; frenchexperience.com; three-day tours from $583 per day), you can retrace the designer’s footsteps with visits to her favorite spots: lunch at Café Angelina, the famous Paris teahouse; accommodations at the Hôtel Ritz Paris, where she lived from 1934 until her death in 1971; a drive to Saumur, the Loire Valley… -
World's Strangest Airport Attractions
2 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pmFrom teeth cleaning to “4-D” movies, fliers are finding unusual ways to make the most of their layovers. -
World's Most Beautiful Subway Stations
2 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmParis has some. So does Washington, D.C. But gorgeous subway stations aren’t always in the spots you’d expect. -
Best Hotel Kids' Programs
27 Oct 2009 | 8:55 amFrom skiing near Vancouver to snorkeling in Florida, these North American hotels offer great child-friendly activities.
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elliott.org
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One airline ticket for the price of two?
7 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amLlouellynde Orahood's flight from Los Angeles to Dallas has all the makings of a trip from hell, including weather delays, cancellations and almost-missed flights. What could be worse? Having to pay again for the same tickets. Now, neither the airlines nor her online travel agency is willing to... -
Bad news, bargain-hounds: “The worst appears to be over” for lodging industry
6 Nov 2009 | 11:55 amIt's good news for them, bad news for us. Sorta. -
They stepped up to the plate and overpaid for my hotel — now what?
6 Nov 2009 | 3:58 amDale Nielsen did everything he could to confirm his Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. He booked the trip through an online agency that offered a notification of flight schedule changes. He called his airline. It wasn't enough. -
What’s new on Elliott: Two eithical dilemmas, SkyHarbor’s luggage scandal, and a hotel promise broken
6 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amThis is the online version of Elliott’s E-Mail. If this doesn’t display correctly, why not switch subscriptions to my RSS feed or my daily e-mail newsletter? Find the best travel insurance. Please visit our underwriter, Travel Insurance Review, where you can get articles, reviews, and... -
Should I delete my TripAdvisor review of the Grand Hotel Minneapolis?
5 Nov 2009 | 9:59 amMary Yostos needs your advice. She had a horrible experience at the Grand Hotel in Minneapolis last September. While at a wedding party, her wallet was stolen. Her complaints to the hotel were for nothing. “They said the restaurant on the second floor was technically not part of the...
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Happy Hotelier
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Moxie
6 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pmPhilip C Wolf of PhoCusWright What the hell is Moxie? One of the gurus in travel marketing is the very passionate Philip C. Wolf, president and CEO of PhoCusWright, a travel marketing think tank. At one of his conferences, at ITB Berlin 2009 he teached his audience that under the present economic circumstances “You need a lot of Moxie”. I didn’t have a clue what that meant. It was later explained to me that maybe you can translate this into “You need a lot of balls” or, “You need a lot of creativity”, or “You need a lot of perseverance”. -
Winding down from 2009 WordCampNL – My Heroes – Part 1 The Organization
5 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pmA rare photo of this photographer in action at WordCampNL. Thank you Henk-Jan Winkeldermaat of PunkMedia.nl, of Flickr | Eventbranche and @Punkmedia ! General I attended the first ever WordCampNL. It stands for a Dutch WordCamp or a WordCamp in the Netherlands. At first I had decided not to go, because I was very very busy. I do have to admit I thought a WordCamp would be a gathering of WordPress Newbies and/or Geeks and/or Nerds only. However, this first Dutch WordCampNL proved me wrong in that respect and in many other aspects! The people attending were normal people like you and me, some… -
WP Meetup in Rotterdam
4 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pmShortly after the first WordCampNL some WordPress die hards found Lorelle prepared to privately give dome tips and tricks in Rotterdam in what was believed to be the first WP MeetUp of The Netherlands. It was Cool. Again first the photos. The first photo shows the Unilever headoffice in Rotterdam. Behind that was the place of the meeting. While I took the photo It was a bit in remembrance of my late brother in law who was in charge of organizing the delivery of this building on behalf of Unilever and who orchestrated the moving from the old head office to this building by Unilever. That was… -
Hotel Managers have to be Critical and see Everything
3 Nov 2009 | 7:59 amA proud hotel manager showed a couple of fellow hoteliers an me the finest rooms of the hotel. I noticed this curtain hanging loose and took this picture. I was utmost amazed that the hotel manager didn’t notice it and didn’t apologize with a: “Oops I’ll have to put maintenance on notice…” which I would have done. I showed the photo to the hotel manager’s boss later. The hotelier answered: “Thank you! Thant is good to know! But you know, when I was younger and was managing housekeeping in a hotel, this is what always happened to me: Once a week… -
2009 WordCampNL Photos
1 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pmI’ve finalized the uploading to Flickr of the photos I took at WordCampNL. I will devote one or two posts to the camp later. For the moment I leave it with posting this slideshow. The reason I link to my own stream and not the entire pool is that it is chronologically organized from the checking in to the final one thanking Erno photo. All photos are also in the WordCamp Nederland Flickr group. Post from: Happy Hotelier
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Upgrade: Travel Better
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Upgrades and Downgrades: BA miles, track suits, Expedia fees, no-show fees
5 Nov 2009 | 7:21 pmUpgraded: Your ability to earn lots of British Airways miles Chase and British Airways have launched a pretty amazing airline mileage-earning credit card offer. 50,000 BA miles after one purchase, then 50,000 more after spending $2000 within three months. Gary Leff has thought this through and come up with a scheme for 420,000 miles between two people. That’s a lot of free tickets for a $75 annual fee. Downgraded: Track suits A Best Buy executive says that United refused him an upgrade because he was wearing a track suit. “United says there is no passenger dress code, but they… -
$1030 to fly North America to Europe in business class
4 Nov 2009 | 8:19 pmPeriodically, US Airways runs a sale on buying their frequent flyer miles. Usually, buying miles is no bargain. But when they offer you double the miles for the same price… Over at View from the Wing, the bottom line is clear: With this offer you can buy 40,000 miles for $1030, get 80,000 miles in return, and fly business class from the US to Europe. Or if you and a friend each have 40,000 miles, you transfer to each other for $430 apiece, and you now both have 80,000 miles — enough for a business class Star Alliance partner award to Europe. And don’t forget that US Airways… -
Poll for cruisers: Would you book an interior cabin with a virtual porthole?
3 Nov 2009 | 7:31 pmDisney Cruise Line is trying to upgrade its windowless interior cabins with a new feature: the virtual porthole. High-definition cameras perched on the exterior of the ship will broadcast real-time video to the circular monitors in the cabins. From a design perspective, it’s pretty clever, and I could imagine other cruise lines following suit if this is successful. Some airlines already offer a camera pointed forward and/or downward on the inflight video. Perhaps this is just the logical extension. And heck, imagine other faux windows… a hotel with a broom closet room with… -
Travelocity vs. hotel chain best rate guarantees revisited
2 Nov 2009 | 8:02 pmRic Garrido of Loyalty Traveler, the blog devoted to maxing out hotel points and value for the frequent guest, picks up on my post last week on Travelocity’s prepaid hotel rate guarantee. Ric argues that hotel companies’ own best-rate-guarantee programs are superior to the new Travelocity program, for three reasons: 1) Travelocity caps the number of claims to 5 per customer per month. Hotel chains typically don’t place such a limit. 2) Group rates, such as AAA rates, aren’t covered by the Travelocity guarantee. 3) The loyalty benefits of booking through the… -
Vengeance? Karma? Bad luck? United loses the luggage of the “United Breaks Guitars” guy
30 Oct 2009 | 6:04 amYou may remember Dave Carroll from music videos decrying the state of United Airlines customer service. But the airline keeps finding ways to inspire new songs: After famously breaking his guitar, United Airlines has managed to cause further trouble for David Carroll by losing his luggage — just as the Canadian singer-songwriter was en route to deliver a speech about customer service. You can’t make this stuff up. There have been two videos so far, both decrying United’s baggage handling and subsequent customer service. Personally, I thought that Carroll’s first video was…
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The Cranky Flier
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Cranky on the Web (Nov 2 – 6)
6 Nov 2009 | 9:09 pmCranky Concierge watches your back – Hartford Courant More on Cranky Concierge. It’s picking up steam. Delta Air Lines Rips Into International Association of Machinists – BNET The IAM has postponed its representation efforts for Delta’s fleet service workers, and Delta is pissed. United Seems to Be Closer to Buying New Aircraft – BNET Word on the street is that United may finally pull the trigger and buy new planes. But what will they be? getting your guests to your wedding for less – AntiBride.com If you’re getting married, getting people out there… -
Win a Southwest Flight Schedule Signed by Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett with a Tribute to Timetables
6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amIf you’re an airline dork, you love timetables. It’s just the way it’s always been. And with Southwest finally issuing its last timetable this year, the era of printed timetables in the US has come to a close. I asked Southwest for a copy of the last timetable, and Southwest spokesperson Paula Berg did better than that. She sent me one signed by none other than Southwest legends Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett. Even better, she sent me two signed copies, and now one could be yours. So how do you get this magical book of joy? Send me your best tribute to timetables. Video? -
SkyWest to Start Flying for AirTran in Milwaukee
5 Nov 2009 | 7:28 amYou cheeseheads may still be hurting from your second Favre-related beatdown this year, but you can rejoice that you now have yet another airline coming to town. SkyWest (yes, the regional airline) will begin flying for AirTran in Milwaukee. It’s very clear that this is happening because of the AirTran deal, but it’s not your traditional regional contract. Then again, it’s not exactly the “innovative” and “groundbreaking” contract that these guys are proclaiming it is. This has been done before many times. The airplanes will say SkyWest on them, but… -
Midwest Airlines Stops Flying (Its Own Planes)
4 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amThis may seem like a footnote to some, but just two days ago, Midwest officially stopped flying its own aircraft. That doesn’t mean, as we all know, that the Midwest brand is going away. It just means that now it is nothing more than a brand. So I think a little obituary (and cookie cannon salute) is appropriate. Midwest has been around for a lot longer than you might expect. The airline started out simply as the corporate shuttle for Kleenex (and other consumer products) maker Kimberley Clark after World War II. In 1969, the company decided to do more and put its corporate aircraft… -
If You Want to Try Wifi Onboard, You’ll Have Plenty of Free Chances
3 Nov 2009 | 6:31 amIt’s no surprise that when you make something completely free, people use it a lot more often than if you make them pay. Duh. And that’s why it’s not surprising to see airlines scrambling to find a way to offer wireless internet for free. Just in the last few days, we’ve seen three promotions that will let anyone log on from 30,000 feet without paying a dime. First up was Virgin America. They teamed up with Google to offer the most robust opportunity so far. Wireless connectivity will be free for anyone traveling between November 10 and January 15. Just turn on your…
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The Lost Girls
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Sydney Series: My Wine Odyssey in Oz
6 Nov 2009 | 8:50 amSydney was our last stop on our round-the-world trip, and we have plenty of amazing memories from living "Down Under." Now 'til mid-November, we're going to be recalling our favorite Sydney moments. At the end of each post, you'll find out how to get the chance to make your own memories in Oz by entering to win a trip to Sydney (the organizers extended the deadline for entry!)*****ADP: I can't believe that I'm admitting this now, but I wasn't much of a wine drinker before Holly, Jen and I did our yearlong adventure around the world. In fact, I hardly drank the stuff at all, unless it was the… -
The LG Weekly News Roundup: 11.5.09
5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amby Molly FergusLG Travel News EditorMissed the big travel stories of the week? And the weird, wacky and insignificant ones? We've got your round-up right here....******************************************Smokes on the PlaneWe like to call this the Mad Men trend gone too far. Ryan Air, the dirt-cheap European budget airline, will start allowing smoking on its planes — as long as customers purchase the house brand. Ryan Air’s smokeless cigs will cost about $9, supposedly don’t contain any toxins, and are harmless to other passengers. This transparent money-making scheme might seem… -
Lost in Spain: Best Tapas in Madrid
4 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amBy Molly GallagherLG International Correspondent At any time of the day in Madrid you can find cafes, restaurants and bars open and serving tapas. Madrilenos (people of Madrid) have a schedule unlike anything I have ever experienced. The nightlife goes on until six, seven, even eight in the morning. Lunch is usually between two and four and dinner can be as late as ten. In fact, most restaurants do not even open for dinner until ten. Tapas fit in perfectly with this lifestyle. Tapas are small dishes that are shared. These allow Madrilenos to eat smaller portions throughout the day or have a… -
New Hiring: An LG Public Relations Intern
3 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pmAre you a social networking guru? Spend more time chatting with your friends on Facebook then you do in person? Then we have the internship for you!We're on the hunt for a fabulous online PR and marketing intern for the remainder of Fall 2009 through Spring 2010 semester. The ideal candidate will be a detail oriented, web-savvy self-starter who can commit 5 to 10 hours per week to the position. While prior PR or office experience isn’t required, work with magazines or websites is a plus. We’re looking for someone who’s a whiz at spreadsheets (and loves them!), has excellent writing… -
Lost Girls Spa Review: Skana
3 Nov 2009 | 7:13 amHCC: I usually equate casinos more with the smell of cigarettes and flashing lights than with the smell of sage and bubbling mineral baths, but I experienced both at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. Run by the Oneida Indian Nation, their spa named Skana (which is the Oneida word for "peace"), offers the total experience: sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, mineral bath, and treatments that use natural elements such as the Sage and White Pine Hot Towel Massage. Another thing that sets them apart from other spas is their sweat lodge built with willow and draped with buffalo…
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What a Trip
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Environmental Impact of Cruise Ships
5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown Next time you admire that glossy brochure touting a cruise to Alaska's pristine Inside Passage or are considering a Disney Cruise with Grandma, Grandpa and the entire family, look beyond the gourmet dining and children's program. Ask yourself how these cruise lines impact our environment? While some cruise lines take great care to tread lightly on their surroundings, other companies are failing miserably. Have you asked yourself if cruising is any greener than flying? Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign Director for Friends of the Earth notes,… -
Princess Cruise to Western Caribbean - What a Trip!
29 Oct 2009 | 2:16 pmPosted by Nancy D. Brown Crown PrincessIn a week, I'm sailing to the Western Caribbean. This is my first trip to the Caribbean and my first Princess Cruise, with exotic ports of call including the Grand Cayman Island, Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico and the Bahamas. What a Trip! Along with several other tweeting travel writers, I was invited by Princess Cruises to take a hosted trip and share my experiences as part of a first-ever “Twitter Press Trip.” Check back here for some videos and posts along the way. You can follow along on… -
Best Things to See and Do in Victoria, Canada
21 Oct 2009 | 4:22 pmPost by Nancy D. Brown Beacon Hill Park, Wendi Dube photographerMy favorite tips and locations for visitors to Victoria, Canada. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the Inner Harbour or Dallas Road. When I crave Victorian cuisine, I turn to Red Fish Blue Fish. To escape work I go to Lower Johnson Street (LoJo) for awesome shopping, North Fort for food (Sally Bun), exercise (yoga) and more shopping or to the beach to relax. For complete quiet, I can hide away at Sooke Harbour House. To be surrounded in nature, head to Gold Stream Park or East… -
OtterBox iPhone Defender Case - Travel Gear Review
14 Oct 2009 | 9:56 pmPosted by Nancy D. Brown OtterBox iPhone Defender Case ReviewLove your iPhone but not so happy with your iPhone case? That was the situation for me until I received the OTTERBOX IPHONE 3G/3GS Defender Case and now I'm a happy camper. Active Adventure Traveler If you are an active adventure traveler or simply clumsy and prone to dropping your mobile phone, I strongly suggest that you invest $49.95 in an OtterBox iPhone Defender Case. When I purchased my iPhone 3G at the AT&T store, I also purchased a hard-shell leather case from Griffin Technology. I actually… -
Plane Quiet Noise Reduction Headphones - Travel Gear Review
7 Oct 2009 | 9:24 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown Nancy D. Brown wearing Plane Quiet HeadphonesWhat a difference a switch makes. As I sit on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from San Francisco bound for Honolulu, the plane engines drone on in the background. Visions of Kauai's Hanalei Bay and Poipu Beach drift in and out of my mind, like the gentle waves in the ocean, as I listen to native Hawaiian music with my Plane Quiet Pink Noise Canceling Headphones . The switch I'm referring to is the switch to activate the noise reduction function on the Plane Quiet Headphones. First, let me say that I appreciate that the ear…
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USATODAY.com - The Cruise Log
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Elvis has left the building ... and gone on a cruise!
6 Nov 2009 | 10:14 amWe've heard of one-off Elvis themed cruises, but a regular Elvis presence on the high seas? -
Top Disney executive: Strong demand driving cruise line expansion
6 Nov 2009 | 5:59 amThere's no doubt that the Disney Cruise Line has been a success since launching a decade ago. But with just two ships, it's far from being a ... -
World's largest cruise ship rocked by 'extreme' seas in North Atlantic
6 Nov 2009 | 5:12 amJUST POSTED: 'Elvis' to play next Norwegian Cruise Line ship. Click HERE for details. -
Holland America ship will go to Easter Island, Palau on around-the-world cruise
5 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amHolland America has announced another one of those epic cruises for which it is so well known: a 110-day, around-the-world voyage scheduled for ... -
Today's debate: Has cost-cutting gone too far at cruise lines?
5 Nov 2009 | 5:13 amJUST POSTED: Holland America unveils another epic cruise. Click HERE for details.
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RickSeaney.com
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USA on a Roll, Wins Another Top Ten “Best Country” List
6 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pmWasn’t so long ago that the United States wasn’t doing so well on popularity lists, for whatever they’re worth. And then, last month, the nation won top spot on a list of “most well-liked countries” - and now comes word that the U.S. heads a new list from a marketing firm called FutureBrand. According to a report from USA Today, this is the first time the country topped FutureBrand’s “Country Brand Index”, which is “an online survey of about 3,000 international business and vacation travelers that ranks how countries are perceived.”… -
Airplane Part Falls on Suburban Lawn
6 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amHas this ever happened to you? I hope not. Some people in Roosevelt, New York (toward the western end of Long Island) called the police Thursday night, to report a “suspicious object” on their front lawn. It was a rather large piece of metal (3′ X 4′) shaped like a cone - and, according to the cops, it came from a commercial airplane. At this point, nobody knows what airline it belonged to but if anyone’s missing anything, you can contact the Roosevelt P.D. Fortunately, no one was hurt - and fortunately this is not an everyday occurrence for the good folks in… -
Air Travel with Pets: Dogs on a Plane!
6 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amNow, don’t you wish your dog could travel in a style like this? The photo, by Roman Fleysher, is of a chartered flight (Golden Air?) - I found it on the PetFlight site, which is an excellent resource for difficult pet transport problems, including navigating Hawaii’s strict animal quarantine measures. And of course, here at FareCompare, we have all kinds of everyday pet travel tips - and I think you’ll love our video: Flying with Pets. -
Flight Attendants Will NOT Strike During Holidays, But…
6 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amThat’s the good news -flight attendants at American Airlines say they will not disrupt service during the holidays. As you may have heard, the flight attendants’ union is unhappy with stalled contract talks with American, and they might - might - seek permission to strike next year. In the meantime, they say they will hold “mock strikes” around this country on Wed., Nov. 18 - less than two weeks from now - a symbolic protest, according to an AP report, to “show that some flights wouldn’t operate during a real strike.” Talks between the two sides are… -
Why Bags Don’t Fit in the Overhead Bins on Planes (Video)
6 Nov 2009 | 6:33 amOkay, it’s Friday - I think we can all use a laugh - and this vintage TV ad from a New Zealand airline is just the thing. It certainly might explain why the bin space always seems to be filled…
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NYT > Travel
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36 Hours in Nashville
6 Nov 2009 | 10:53 pmThere’s more to the city than country music, especially in once-sleepy neighborhoods that are now beating to a stylish, new rhythm. -
Globespotters: Celebrating Light at Madrid’s Palacio de Cristal
6 Nov 2009 | 9:49 pmSo subtle are the installations by the Belgian artist Joelle Tuerlinck that on entering the gorgeous light-filled glass pavilion you might not even notice them. -
Where Art and Faith Embrace in Gura Humorului, Romania
6 Nov 2009 | 9:47 pmThe Bucovina region in the far north, wrote the scholar Silviu Sanie, is “one of those blessed realms where sacred and secular monuments have enriched the enchanting natural landscape.” -
Next Stop: Alto Alentejo, Unsung but Not for Long
6 Nov 2009 | 9:46 pmCarpeted with cork oaks, whitewashed villages and olive trees, this region in southeastern Portugal is emerging as a stylish backwater for the international set. -
Bijagós, a Tranquil Haven in a Troubled Land
6 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pmTo visit this spattering of 88 palm-fringed and thinly populated islands off the coast of West Africa is to enter both another world and another century.
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tripso.com
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United Airlines exploring viability of stacking them like cordwood
6 Nov 2009 | 6:54 pmIn its ongoing effort to cut transportation costs and boost profits, United Airlines announced Tuesday that it was exploring the feasibility of herding them into planes and stacking them like cordwood from floor to ceiling. -
Please complete “Getting to know you” — a survey of our readers
6 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmPlease take the time to answer a dozen questions for us that will help to focus the material on ConsumerTraveler.com. We are very interested in who are our readers. -
Bad news, bargain-hounds: “The worst appears to be over” for lodging industry
6 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pmIt's good news for them, bad news for us. Sorta. -
Are airlines really unregulated?
6 Nov 2009 | 8:15 amThe fact of the matter is that airlines are only partially deregulated. They are not too different from the giant electric utilities that use massive grids to distribute power. There is a regulated portion of the system that is the airport infrastructure and the airtraffic control system. This traffic grid is controlled by the FAA, the military and municipalities. -
Making amends? Ask before you give
6 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amThe hotel I was staying at made a significant mistake on my food. A major screw-up that, under different circumstances, could have led to an industrial-strength lawsuit. But they apologized profusely and said they’d take corrective action. Fair enough; thank you.
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Budget Travel Tips - EuroCheapo
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Rome Art Walking Tour: See Caravaggio’s finest works for free
6 Nov 2009 | 7:18 amCaravaggio's "Madonna di Loreto" on display. Photo by Gaspa. By Samantha Collins in Rome— There is something about Caravaggio that fascinates people. Even those who would normally prefer to cross a street of hot coals than spend time looking at paintings seem happy to make an exception for this rebel of Counter-Renaissance Art. To celebrate Rome’s Caravaggio exhibition that has just opened at the Villa Borghese (and runs through January 24, 2010), it seemed timely to look at this bad boy of the paintbrush and take a tour around Rome to see some of his masterpieces for… -
Stockholm: Ideas for short winter days and empty wallets
5 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pmWhen night falls, head for the Kulturehuset. Photo: Pineapplebun By Marcus Cederstrom in Stockholm— On October 25th, the clocks changed and Sweden fell back one hour. For many people around the world, this just means that it gets darker a little earlier, in Stockholm it means that on Monday the 26th Stockholmers were greeted with a sunset around 4:00 pm. The days are short in Sweden now and only getting shorter as winter approaches. Luckily, there are plenty of things to do to keep busy, and some that will really appeal to Cheapos. Daylight on the island of Djurgården The city of Stockholm… -
Amsterdam Cheap Eat: Healthy treats at Maoz
4 Nov 2009 | 8:10 amA delicious moment at Maoz in Amsterdam. Photo: Sairenso By Amy Goemans in Amsterdam— Who says that every type of fast food is bad for you? Maoz, a popular fast-food franchise in Amsterdam, breaks the norm with their delicious vegetarian on-the-go snacks. At the very least, Maoz offers Cheapos a healthy quick meal at a modest price. A bit of History Maoz is a chain of vegetarian eateries that started out in Amsterdam. Established in 1991, it has since expanded to cities across the globe, including London, Paris, Barcelona, Philadelphia, and New York. The aim of the founders was to win… -
Barcelona: Autumn Colors in Catalonia? Si Senor!
3 Nov 2009 | 8:06 amLeaves in in Gallecs, Catalonia. Photo by Horitzons Inesperats. By Regina Winkle-Bryan in Barcelona– Fall is creeping into northeastern Spain ever so slowly. Today I even saw someone swimming in the Mediterranean, mind you, it is far too cold for that nonsense. We know the seasons are changing here in Barcelona, because all non-palm trees are beginning to shed their leaves, which is especially obvious on the tree-lined Rambla. Replacing lush leaves are the “Yam Guys.” This is not their real name, but it’s what I call them. They show up as the weather gets nippy and set up… -
France Train Tickets: How to book tickets on the SNCF website (in French!)
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amThe SNCF station at Charles de Gaulle airport. By Liz Webber– As Cheapos know, it’s almost always less expensive to buy train tickets directly through the website of a country’s national rail service rather than through RailEurope’s English-language site or overseas agents, especially for France’s TGV system. Fares can also be cheaper booking online than buying the tickets in person at the station. However, booking a ticket in another language can be intimidating. France’s SNCF website is fairly easy to navigate, but if your French doesn’t extend much…
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Go Green Travel Green
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Live Your Life Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia
4 Nov 2009 | 11:03 amIn retrospect, hopping on a bus from St. Petersburg, Russia to Tallinn, Estonia with nothing more than my passport and some cash was mildly crazy. But at the time, it seemed perfectly logical. We all have those moments when we travel. There’s something about being in a new country that makes us more daring, more willing to be spontaneous. Then we return to home to our routines and that willingness to get off the beaten path fades. But it doesn’t have to. In fact, I think we could all learn to live our lives more like a 20-year-old in Estonia. A Spontaneous Thanksgiving Weekend in… -
Ultimate Guide to Halloween 2009: Spooky Drinks, Haunted Houses, and iPhone Apps
28 Oct 2009 | 11:35 amThrowing a Halloween party, but at a loss for spooky drinks and tasty treats? Want to find a haunted house in your neighborhood? Thinking about skipping town with a Halloween travel deal? Or are you just looking for a few good Halloween iPhone apps? No matter what Halloween advice or entertainment you seek, we’ve got you covered — from scary books and Halloween drinks to costumed animals and face paint facts. Halloween Party Ideas: Drinks, Treats, and Decorations If you’ve procrastinated on planning your Halloween party, don’t worry. It’s not too late. These tips… -
Go Green on Halloween: Top 7 Green Halloween Tips
21 Oct 2009 | 6:16 amBetween the candy wrappers, the thrown away decorations, and plastic treat bags, Halloween has the potential to be one of the most wasteful holidays of the year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Take these seven easy steps to green your Halloween. 1. Create a Recycled Halloween Costume Skip the Halloween aisle at Target and opt for creating a costume from items you have at home. Get the kids involved for a fun weekend activity. If you can’t find the materials you need at home, visit a thrift store. They can be Halloween costume gold mines. Not sure where to start? About.com has… -
6 Easy Things You Can Do Today to Reduce Your Impact: Blog Action Day 2009
15 Oct 2009 | 2:54 pmThe theme of this year’s Blog Action Day is climate change — a subject near and dear to our hearts here at Go Green Travel Green. Our philosophy is to focus on easy step you can take to live a greener, healthier lifestyle. So here are 6 steps you can take today (or any day) to reduce your environmental impact, just about anywhere in the world. 1. Walk It’s harder to get motivated to pass on driving and, instead, walk to your destination in the winter. But fear not — you can face the cold in moderation. Instead of walking everywhere, decide you’re going to walk to… -
10 Useful Eco Gadgets for the Green Traveler
14 Oct 2009 | 5:55 pmThis article is by Dan Harrison who writes about all kinds of eco gadgets for EnviroGadget.com. Dan is particularly interested in energy saving gadgets so that he can do his bit for the environment as well as saving money on increasingly expensive energy bills! Eco gadgets are most definitely a growth market now. Sure there are lots of gadgets that are a waste of time and money, but there are also some gadgets that are genuinely useful. In this article, Dan talks about 10 of his favourite eco-friendly gadgets that are designed with the green traveler in mind. 1. Wind up Torch If we’re…
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SmarterTravel.com: Travel Advice
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All-Year Travel Insurance Keeps Frequent Travelers Covered
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmFor seniors, all-year travel insurance may be a good investment, especially if you travel overseas where Medicare doesn't cover you. Ed Perkins discusses several options. -
Early Birds Will Get the Best Family Vacation Deals Next Year
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmNot sure if a vacation is within your budget for next year? A host of possibilities are available on the cheap, and you may be pleasantly surprised with what's affordable in early 2010. -
Air France Offers a Class Between Economy and Business
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAir France's Premium Voyager offers 40 percent more room, but you pay 100 percent more for your seat. Ed Perkins explains why shelling out the cash may be better than the alternative. -
Paris on the Cheap
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe Deal Detective helps a reader see the City of Light for less this winter by helping her determine when to go and where to stay. -
California Academy of Sciences Is Far From Boring
1 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWith live sharks, bats, butterflies, and 1.7 million native plants, Cal Academy is a museum your kids won't want to leave. Discover what else the greenest museum in the country has to offer.
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DeliciousBaby.com
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Photo Friday: Halloween In Seattle
5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmPumpkin Heads! Not too scary I sometimes hear people claim that our American cities lack a sense of community or somehow imply that city dwellers aren't "real" Americans. In my view, nothing could be further from the truth. I love my urban life. Limited real estate means that there are few big box stores, and I spend more time in independently owned markets, bakeries, toy stores, and book shops and getting to know the owners and employees. A tight knit parenting community means that I often run into friends and acquaintances when I am out and about. My kids grow up interacting with all kinds… -
What's in My Airplane Busy Bag?
3 Nov 2009 | 9:36 pmContents of Airplane Busy Bag I took this photo of our airplane busy bag before flying down to Orange County a few weeks ago. I build a fresh busy bag before each trip based on what the kids are interested in at the moment. Between kids, and luggage, and snacks, there is always a lot to carry, so I try to keep the busy bag compact, and with this one I really succeeded. It doesn't look like much, but believe it or not, there was enough to do here to keep E and D busy for both the outbound and return flights! Here's what's inside (there are two of almost everything, one for each child)… -
Weekly Travel Links and Giveaways
1 Nov 2009 | 7:43 pmHere are a few stories I enjoyed this week. Did you ever wonder what it would be like to celebrate Halloween in Beijing A noisy child was kicked off a plane this week. Southwest has apologized to the mother (it sounds like they didn't give her any advance warning), but perhaps you want to read some of my tips for flying with kids. Here are some great photos and a story about a family visit to Yellowstone National Park Giveaways Journeywoman is giving away 6 reusable shopping bags, one of them stuffed with DK books If you are headed to Atlanta, enter to win World of Coca Cola tickets If you… -
Photo Friday: Little Laviator
29 Oct 2009 | 11:15 pmThe Littlest Laviator Heather Pool, who writes a really funny blog about her experiences as a flight attendant posted earlier this year about Laviators. In case you haven't heard, a laviator is a passenger who takes mile high headshot in an airplane bathroom. Heather didn't invent the idea, but she coined the name and posted about it. Pretty soon it became a phenomenon. On our most recent flight, I thought I'd add my own picture to the mix. Here it is, Heather, baby Eilan on his 4th flight ever. P.S. If you were hoping for something a little more Halloweeny, check out last year's Photo Friday… -
Santa Monica With Kids: An Afternoon on the Pier
27 Oct 2009 | 1:00 amDuring our stay in Santa Monica, we were guests of the Loews Santa Monica. I received no other compensation beyond the room and dessert, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view. We ended our family trip to Orange County last week with a night in Santa Monica. I haven't visited Santa Monica since I was in College, so it was fun to rediscover the beach and the pier with the kids. Our hotel, the Loews Santa Monica was right across the street from the beach, making it a great starting point for our adventures. We really packed a lot in to just a few short hours!
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nerd's eye view
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Making Mochi
6 Nov 2009 | 11:45 amThere’s a whole complicated process around making mochi that I can’t explain properly. I remember something about a mallet and a lot of pounding, and how it’s some unfortunate person’s role to flip the mochi between swings of the mallet. There’s a lot of pounding and the end result is something that’s a lot like playdough only much more edible. That stuff, the result of the pounding and flipping, is the actual mochi (rice paste?), the wrapper, the last layer of this traditional Japanese treat. We’d been invited by Renee, the mistress of Happy Hearts… -
Aloha Oe
6 Nov 2009 | 1:39 amWhat is as sad as leaving Hawaii? A few places in the world, they call to you, they crawl up your sleeve and slip right between your ribs close to your heart. For me, Hawaii is one of those places. And when I must pack to leave, the weight of that is impossible. This evening, after a lovely show at the Royal Hawaiian — that’s the grand pink place on the beach at Waikiki — I slipped out without saying a lot of goodbyes because I didn’t want to break the spell. I wanted to walk down Kalakaua Avenue behind the Japanese girls who shop for sport. I wanted to look at the… -
Fish Tails Fish Tales
5 Nov 2009 | 9:37 pmIn order to meet Brooks Takenaka at 5am, I fall out of bed at 430, groggy, dizzy, and luckily, jet lagged enough so that it’s not too much of a shock. I’m happy not to be driving, it’s hard enough to navigate Honolulu by day, all those street names made up of Ks and Ls and Is all run together. Luckily, I’ve overlapped in Hawaii with photographer and travel buddy Peter Carey and he’s psyched to tag along, even at 5am. That’s a good travel buddy. We find the market with no trouble at all — when we pull in to the lot it’s lively under the bright… -
Morning in the Pacific
4 Nov 2009 | 10:48 pmI’ve been skipping out on a lot of the nightlife while I’m here in Waikiki. I am, unashamedly, a morning person and while I am not really anti-social, I do enjoy good company, I’m not much of a drinker anymore and I don’t particularly enjoy group events in loud places. I’d much rather share a table with you at dinner; that’s more my style. I may indeed be missing out on a Good Time, but I’m okay with that because I can get up early and go to the beach. For the third time on this trip — not nearly often enough, true, but that’s how busy… -
Touring Tourists
2 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pmHere is the thing a taking a tour: You are able to see a lot of places that you might not otherwise get to — especially if you do not have a car. Here is another thing about taking a tour: You will be pelted with facts, maybe relentlessly, all of them somewhat filtered through the lens of the guide’s own interests. Some of the facts will stick to you — like the tragic idea that birds are too stupid to tell a plastic bag from a squid so they will stuff them into the bellies of their young thinking they are feeding them when really, oh, it is very sad. Other facts will slide…
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HOTELMARKETING.COM
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Orbitz Q3 revenue fell 22%, blames removal of booking fees
5 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pmOrbitz posted a quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by lower expenses and more bookings, and said it had received equity investments amounting to $100 million. The company said fee cuts and promotions offset weak demand during the economic recession but that travel demand is starting to recover on its own. -
Expedia eliminates booking fees for phone orders
5 Nov 2009 | 11:04 pmThe company eliminated online air booking fees and change fees and cancel fees on all hotel and car rental reservations in May 2009. Cruise change and cancel fees were also eliminated in May 2009 and cruise booking fees were eliminated in October 2009. -
Despite Q3 decline, Travelport sees continued strengthening
5 Nov 2009 | 11:03 pmTravel technology and global distribution firm Travelport reported that global segments were down nearly 5 percent for the third quarter, but said it reached positive territory in the past month. -
Priceline, Travelocity and Expedia compete with iPhone apps
5 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pmTravelocity and Expedia launched their applications earlier this year so Priceline looks like it’s coming late to the game. Not so, said Priceline.com spokesman Brian Ek, who said most of online travel agency competitors are supplying ”reskins” of their websites. -
The new rules of international link building
5 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pmFundamentally, link building is the same everywhere - which means it’s important to consider the quality of the links, check they’re not no-followed and take a view of the quality of the site from which they come. But there are some new factors to be considered—which Search Engine Land calls the “new rules of international link building.
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Johnny Jet's Weekly Newsletter
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Jerusalem, Israel
Shalom from Israel! Last week, we left off after our El Al flight touched down in Tel Aviv. This week, we hit Jerusalem. If you thought that Israel was unsafe and only for Jews (like I did), think again. -
The New Marriott Miami Airport Hotel Campus
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the grand re-opening of the Marriott Miami Airport Hotel Campus. There was a huge celebration with VIPs like Mr. Marriott himself and Tito Puente junior's salsa band played, complete with dancers. The campus is a unique concept; it has three different Marriott-branded hotels and a cool $70 million was spent on the transformation. The three hotels comprise a 366-room, full-service Marriott, 300-room Courtyard by Marriott and 163-suite Residence Inn. -
Geneva, Switzerland
There's a reason why world conventions choose Geneva. Famous vineyards, hilly towns and shimmering lake just a few factors in a French/Swiss product of near-flawless beauty -
Travels through Thailand
On the second leg of our honeymoon, my husband, Noah and I were enjoying our two- night stay at Rayavadee, a beautiful resort on the Andaman Coast of Thailand. -
Southwest Airline's Media Day
This past week, I was invited to attend Southwest Airlines' annual media day at their Dallas headquarters. Media Day is a great chance for airlines to open up their operations and invite journalists (and their readers) in for a peek around. Unfortunately, not many airlines do it - in fact, the only other airline I know that does it is US Airways and I've attended theirs for the past couple of years.
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Evolution of Security
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Response to: “Oops: Backscatter X-ray machines tear apart DNA"
6 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pmThis article has been receiving quite a bit of attention and it’s leading people to believe the Backscatter Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) used by TSA emits terahertz radiation. Recent studies are showing that terahertz radiation may “unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication.”(I know… who knew that your DNA could be unzipped? Hey buddy, your barn door’s open!!!)I forwarded the article around to a few subject matter experts here at TSA and was provided with some… -
Response to "TSA Takes Big Gulp over Britney"
3 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pmPhoto Courtesy of Steven DepoloA video was posted earlier today by a popular celebrity tabloid showing Britney Spears traveling through airport security at LAX with a large drink cup.We checked with the airport and I'm happy to report there's nothing to see here.Her cup had a few ice chips in it, not liquid. Ice is a solid. Therefore, ice is permitted through the checkpoint, as long as it's screened by the X-ray (Which it was).I should also add that Ms. Spears did have a bottle of liquid in her purse which was identified on the X-ray and voluntarily surrendered at the checkpoint.One thing to… -
Response to “Bag Check” Cartoon
23 Oct 2009 | 9:51 amOn the surface, this cartoon resonates with many passengers who’ve had to abandon their liquids or adjust their travel to adhere to TSA’s 3-1-1 liquid policy.This cartoon compares the allowance of laptop batteries with a bottle of water. It leads the reader to believe batteries are more dangerous than the water. While that might be true, it leaves out the reasoning behind 3-1-1. The batteries may be more dangerous than a bottle of water, but they are not more dangerous than a water bottle filled with liquid explosives.When you show us a bottle of liquid, we can’t tell if it’s a sports… -
Response to “My Daughter the Terror Suspect”
22 Oct 2009 | 12:33 pmI came across a post yesterday about a cute little four year old girl who was believed to be on the No Fly List because every time she flies with her father, he has to check in at the ticket counter and can’t print tickets from home or from a kiosk. The author also described that even though his daughter had a nuclear meltdown at Target, she was by no means a terrorist.I can relate to nuclear meltdowns at Target since my daughter had one there last year. I carried her out of the store like a sack of potatoes and she was screaming all the way. I really expected somebody would call the… -
Why We Screen Wheelchairs Part II
20 Oct 2009 | 11:45 amOur officers work in what some have referred to as a large fishbowl. Everything they do is being observed by passengers. So, when they screen veterans & active military, children & seniors, and people in wheelchairs, people notice. It doesn’t sit well with them and we often hear about it. All wheelchairs must be screened and it's important to remember that some people, including terrorists are looking to sneak things through, by pretending to have a disability.Lynn wrote the last “Why We Screen Wheelchairs” as a result of a passenger trying to smuggle two packages of cocaine…
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Cleared for Takeoff - The Triporati Blog
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Yosemite Accommodations
A recent October trip to Yosemite and Mariposa County, CA followed a huge rain storm. The robust waterfalls thundered all around and the scenery was more striking than I had remembered from my last trip at the end of July. Autumn colors enhanced the spectaular vistas and there was a crisp feel in the air. The ... -
Beluga Whales, Polar Bears, and the Wilds of Churchill, Manitoba
One October a few years ago I spent a few days in Churchill, Manitoba looking for polar bears. Churchill is famously the "Polar Bear Capital of the World" because so many bears come in to den when the pack ice breaks up on Hudson Bay. In the fall, when Hudson ... -
Guanajuato’s Cervantes Festival and Magic Realism
One night some years ago I arrived in Guanajuato, Mexico for the first time, knowing little about the place beyond its being yet another Spanish colonial city. When the bus couldn't get anywhere near my hotel on Jardin de la Union because the streets were jammed with revelers, I got ... -
Kayaking the Mekong River
In the late ’60s and early ’70s the thought of a trip down the Mekong was the stuff of nightmares. The place was a war zone, and the only way to see it was courtesy of Uncle Sam. But thankfully times change, and today the great river that runs from ... -
2016 Summer Olympics
I am sort of an Olympics geek. I love the games, both the summer and the winter. My mom actually took my sister and me and two friends to the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games. We had tickets for the Women's Downhill Skiing event, but if you remember, the Games ...
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Wanderlust and Lipstick
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Photo of the Day: Bhutan Windows
5 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pmNext to the beauty of the Himalayas, probably the most striking thing about Bhutan is the architecture. This is a series of windows at one of the country’s many monasteries. See more lovely photos at DeliciousBaby’s Photo Friday! Travel Well! Beth Related links: Spring Women-only tour to Bhutan (register before Dec. 1 and save $150) Eastern Bhutan Trekking Tour Photo of the [...] -
Photo of the Day: Paradise Found in Oahu
29 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pmAs I was writing this post, it struck me how ironic it is that the TV series Lost (or at least parts of it) are filmed on Oahu. For one, you can’t possibly get lost on the island. But more than that, I think there’s an element of being Found here, or finding yourself, or [...] -
Win a PacSafe VentureSafe Daybag – only a few days left!
27 Oct 2009 | 6:45 amThere are just a few days left for you to be entered in the drawing for the PacSafe VentureSafe 20L daybag (value: $100). All you need to do is subscribe to the Wanderlust and Lipstick monthly newsletter and you’ll automatically be entered to win! There’ll be one lucky winner during the month of October. [...] -
5 (new) Things to Do on Oahu
26 Oct 2009 | 6:45 amIt’s easy to be lazy when you’re traveling. You’re away from home and your regular routine. You’ve given yourself “permission” to sleep in, eat more and drink more (not necessarily in that order). You’ve read about the top 10 things recommended at your destination and you’re determined to see them all because, frankly, you’re supposed [...] -
Photo of the Day: Kiva in New Mexico
22 Oct 2009 | 9:30 pmKivas, like the one pictured above, are rooms used for religious ceremonies at Native American pueblos in the Southwest and are often found underground. I visited this one a few years ago outside of Santa Fe. The sun was magically streaming through on this particular late afternoon. This is part of DeliciousBaby’s Photo Friday. Pop on over [...]
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GoNOMAD
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Spooky Switzerland: Alien Nightmares and Mystical Savages
30 Oct 2009 | 10:10 amUnlike some tourists, when I contemplate Switzerland, I don’t think of army knives, watches, the alps or secret bank accounts. I think of the late psychologist Carl Jung writing about alchemy — transmuting base metals into gold as a metaphor for personal and psychological transformation. I think of the macabre surrealist H.R. Giger, whose horrific biomechanical nighmarescapes have influenced morbid self-seekers for generations. I have no use for standardized guides, so before my infiltration of the Swiss countryside, I landed a used copy of Richard and Iona Miller's The Modern Alchemist:… -
Magnificent Maine: Hikes and Lobsters in Mount Desert Island
28 Oct 2009 | 11:59 amVacationland proudly proclaim the state license plates. “Lots of hikes with great views,” says my husband, Pinaki. For him, great views translate to great landscape photography. “The world’s finest lobster comes from Maine,” screams the headline of the website of the Maine Lobster Council. Enough already, I am hooked. Picking a warm weekend in July, we packed our bags and drove up to Maine. All the way up to northern New England from our home in Connecticut. -
Tips for Living Abroad with Kids
28 Oct 2009 | 11:58 amImmersion into a different culture is intellectually stimulating and forces you to examine your culture and your place in the world. Additionally, if you go to a non-English speaking country, your kids will get a head start on a second language. However, a year in a different country will provide your family with other less obvious benefits. Childhood is short, and if your family lives a modern fast-paced lifestyle, it will seem even shorter. During our year in France we were freed from our never-ending list of chores and obligations. Our life was simpler, and as a result we slowed down and… -
100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go
28 Oct 2009 | 11:57 amSusan Van Allen describes the taste and experience of Micaela and Mamma Agata's cooking school. In Ravello, where life is more beautiful, we are given the taste of what life is like, not only through the foods, but through the history and culture. Van Allen's knowledge and love for Italy is expressed through cooking, with descriptions so vivid, one will feel as though they are present Van Allen presents a guide to Italy's many attractions including historic sites, museums, villas, gardens, cooking schools, spas, beaches, shopping, crafts schools, and opera companies. In these excerpts she… -
Taxco: Mexico's Silver Capital Beckons
28 Oct 2009 | 11:56 amCuddled by the mountains of the state of Guerrero, Taxco is an attractive town known for its colonial architecture, steep and narrow cobbled streets, edged with whitewashed houses with red-tiled roofs, dominated by the stately and towering 250-year old Santa Prisca and Santa Sebastian Church, carrying the name of two saints. The Aztecs first founded the city, built on the side of a mountain, which they called Tlacho (the place of the ballgame) and it was re-founded by the Spaniards in the early 16th century.
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Travellious.com
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Travel Stories: Charles de Gaulle Chaos
5 Nov 2009 | 9:01 amImage: CruisAir. I had been on a plane all night and didn't sleep a wink, as usual. I had been slightly worried about my short one hour layover in Paris, but we were early. No problem, heck I'd even have time to change my clothes and reboot my brain that it was a new day. I passed on the airline coffee, knowing full well that I had a cappuccino in Padova with my name on it. Did I mention that it was 6am? We land and I begin my exodus down a long hallway, some stairs and onto the moving walkway. Just follow the signs for 2F, I thought, no big deal....I've got an hour and a half. And then, I… -
Italian Road Trip
3 Nov 2009 | 8:12 amImage: rogilde. I'm blogging from the road for the next month, coming to you live from Italy. I'll be traveling around Italy with Francesco and Fabiola, showing you how Italians do road trips. Not only can you keep up with me here, but you can also head over to the new, and improved, Wondermap. It is live with all my photos, videos, blog posts, and even with some ideas of where we might be heading on our travels over the next few weeks. So, after a few days of transit and transition, I'll be hitting the road Italian-style this weekend. Help me out and leave me suggestions! read more -
Video: Windsurfing at Golden Gardens Park
29 Oct 2009 | 1:12 pmGolden Gardens Park, Seattle, Washington (60 sec.) read more -
Round Table: Neck Pillows?
26 Oct 2009 | 12:25 pmImage: kelly. I found myself standing in the travel aisle of Target yesterday contemplating the merits of one of those travel neck pillows. You know, those oversized u-shaped pillows people cart around attached to their carry-on or inflate once they get on the plane. I'm not much of a sleeper on an airplane, so I've never actually had the desire to use a pillow. But, two red eye flights in three days and some botched planning on my part putting me in a middle seat for eight hours made me start to wonder if I actually might *need* one of these things. read more -
Inspiration: Street Scene in Osaka
22 Oct 2009 | 10:18 amDo you have a travel photo you want to show off? Join our Flickr Group and we'll post our favorites here. Image: m-louis. You're exploring the streets of Osaka when you wander down an empty street. You grab your map to try to discern where you went wrong. Wait, you raise your head and do a double take. Is that a dog? On a bike? I love this moment in time captured by M Louis in Osaka, Japan. read more
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Almost Fearless
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Free Book Friday: Imagine - A Vagabond Story
6 Nov 2009 | 3:13 pmWhen Grant Lingel finds out in his fifth year of college that he wouldn’t be graduating that winter because of some non-transferable credits, he decides to avoid the prospect of finishing school alone by heading to Mexico instead. It’s with this impetus that the travelogue Imagine - A Vagabond Story begins, which unbeknownst to our 23 year old narrator, will be the driving force behind his travels. He flys to Mexico because his friend lives there. He later travels to Belize and Guatemala because some kids are going. He returns to Mexico City to visit his crush. He… -
This Place Exists: The Amazing Wild Buffalo in the Yukon
4 Nov 2009 | 1:06 amDriving through Canada to Alaska was a shock for me. I had heard that it was amazing, that the natural beauty would knock you out, but you simply can’t do the 365 degree views justice in a little picture. My favorite part was the wildlife, which becomes more frequent and bold the further north you get. We ran into a herd of buffalo and I got some footage as we drove by. There were maybe 60 of these massive animals along a half mile stretch, plus the loners we’d run into randomly over the week we camped out. Sometimes I could reach out and touch them. I didn’t, because I like… -
Twitter for Travelers Ebook
2 Nov 2009 | 2:01 amI’m very pleased to announce that my new ebook Twitter for Travelers is available for download. There’s only one catch: you have to be a subscriber to this site. If you’re reading this in an RSS reader or via an email subscription the link to the ebook is on the bottom of this post. For the rest of you, go, subscribe! It’ll totally be worth it. About the Ebook As a traveler, my tweets are often aligned with where I’m going next, where I should go, or how I’m getting there. However it wasn’t until I put out a tweet last fall about taking a bus from Cancun,… -
Free Book Friday: Crush It!
30 Oct 2009 | 5:56 pmI can just picture Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crush It! and member of the online elite, sitting around trying to think of a synonym for working really hard. Knock it out of the park! No, not quite. Kick ass! No, too vulgar. Show me what your mama gave ya! Wait, what was I doing? I know! Crush it! Then he ran a marathon, did his taxes and gave his wife a pedicure. This book is like liquid motivation. It’s small, quick to read and when you’re done you might finding yourself starting an online business, or getting super serious about the one you already have. The best part? -
The Great American Road Trip: Digital Nomad Style
29 Oct 2009 | 8:24 pmIn 2000, I packed up everything, said my goodbyes and drove cross country with my then boyfriend (now husband). We made the trip from Massachusetts to Seattle in early December, so we decided to take the southern route, and still got caught in an ice storm that stranded us in Tennessee for three days. There was a guy in our Motel Six lobby wearing overalls, buckled on one shoulder, no shirt and no shoes. He was muddied up like he just came back from an afternoon wrestling pigs. It was my first time in the south. It was awesome. Driving across the US is one of those epic trips that…
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Beat of Hawaii
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LA to Honolulu $194 Each Way
5 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amWhile still dropping too slowly for all of us, the price of flying between Los Angeles and Honolulu is at least heading in the right direction again. See below for available dates (as of this writing). The advertised price is actually $204 each way. You can save an additional $10 by using a Hawaiian affiliate code, such as the one below. Cost: $409 round trip (all-inclusive) Hawaiian Airlines Dates: From Los Angeles: 11/13, 12/2-9. From Honolulu 11/7, 8, 10, 13, 17, 18, 12/6-13, 15. Advance purchase: None Hawaiian affiliate link. We have no affiliation. Similar Posts:LA/Honolulu… -
Kauai Westin $189; Sheraton $169
4 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amHere’s a great deal at two very nice Kauai resorts that both offer superior locations. If this sounds familiar, that’s because Starwood is repeating an offer they first ran in June. Only this time, it’s valid 7 days a week (with some limitations) through April 25, 2010. Kauai Westin is a property we wrote about soon after its opening. The Princeville location means that while it isn’t oceanfront, its a short walk to breathtaking Anini beach. I recommend it and personally love the kitchenettes. The Kauai Sheraton is an older motel-like resort we also frequently mention,… -
Cleveland to Honolulu $240 Each Way
3 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amA good deal from United valid clear through next Spring. Stopovers are permitted (see below), which makes it an even better deal. Cost: $556 round trip (all-inclusive) United Airlines Dates: Travel through early June 2010 Availability: Good except holidays Advance purchase: None Minimum/maximum days: 3/60 Travel days: Monday through Thursday Trans-Pacific Stopovers: 1 permitted in each direction for $55 at CHI, PHX, DEN, PDX, LAS, SLC, SAN, LAX, SFO, OAK, SJC, ONT, SEA Similar Posts:Chicago to Big Island, Kauai or Maui Under $600 (All-Inclusive) Seattle To Honolulu $140 Each Way LA/Honolulu… -
Aloha Kay Jarvela
3 Nov 2009 | 2:04 amThis is a different kind of post. On Saturday we lost a Beat of Hawaii fan, Kay Jarvela, to brain cancer which was diagnosed just over a month ago. It’s a personal loss to me because Kay and I were high school friends who reconnected this year on Facebook. When Kay shared this picture with me in September I didn’t know that her life would be ending in a few short weeks. Her father died in August and Kay decided to carry on his tradition of playing the accordion. After surgery Kay wrote, “These things, like it or not, do tend to come up. I cannot help but think that all this… -
Kayak.com Comes To TV
2 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amKayak took a giant leap into the big media league this weekend with their new commercials. Their $60 million campaign that also includes airport and taxi video displays and outdoor advertising promises to give competitor Expedia a run for its money. Will it be enough to entice you to click? When checking Hawaii airfares (or any destination), Kayak is one of the sources I follow. It’s not perfect but gives me an idea for available dates on sale fares. When you search fares on Kayak it costs the company up to a dollar each time. To save money and hook you in, they first show the most…
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tripwolf | blog
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tripwolf in Fiji
5 Nov 2009 | 6:44 pmThe satisfaction and silliness of leaving New England in November…in flip flops. I’m of to Savusavu, Fiji – Tom Robbins says something like everything on an island needs to be said twice – to join the Tui Tai crew for the month of November. -
10 Material Suggestions For Long Term Travelers
4 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pmI’ve been out here for 15 of the past 24 months, this time on a year stretch. The more people I talk to, the more I feel less like an idiot for having brought things I wouldn’t need. I’m not the only one who has mailed a big package of stuff home after a few weeks. Here are a few things that I could not live without: 1) Retractable Cable Lock These run about $10 and can really save you in hostels that don’t have security lockers. I just lock my pack to the bed. Also really handy if you need to sleep on dodgy transport – I even locked mine to my belt buckle once because I was… -
Red Faced in the Emerald Isle: Getting Used to Everyday Life in Ireland
2 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amThe honeymoon days in any new place are often an exciting blur. Sometimes, that sense of wonder gets marred by the shame of making a cultural faux pas. As Vincent Vega said in “Pulp Fiction,” “It’s the little differences.” Just as with Irish-English, there are a few cultural twists here in Ireland that have embarrassed me in the company of my new peers. Fool me once, Ireland. Paper or Plastic … or Nothing? In America, supermarkets give shoppers their choice of free paper or plastic grocery bags. Irish supermarkets are a bit more eco-conscious so to… -
Travel Trends on The Brooklyn Nomad
30 Oct 2009 | 9:53 amI love to do a bi-weekly wrap-up for you of Andrew’s posts on The Brooklyn Nomad because he’s on top of interesting travel trends. Here are a few interesting posts from this week: Who visits the US the most? Find out which countries come to the US for tourism, and why tourist numbers are declining. Congrats!!! Andrew is excited to announce he’s bringing another travel lover into the world – due in April! (thelittlenomad.com?) Stephanie Yoder stepped in this week as a Guest Nomad – posting 5 cool day trips from London…Hey Steph, post ‘em on… -
tripwolf Update
29 Oct 2009 | 8:17 amtripwolf is constantly changing and improving to bring users the best travel site we can. Whether making it easier to search and find info about places, plan a trip, and even book it, here are a few new features you will definitely want to utilize: - Book Flights; Along with searching for the best hotel deals, you can now find cheap flights on tripwolf through Kayak.com. - Free SIM card; Our new partner ekit.com is offering the tripwolf community a free international SIM card to take on your travels! - Plan trips; We have improved our new trip feature even more – now you can leave…
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Amenity Watch
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Gettin’ Ink Done on a California Vacation
3 Nov 2009 | 8:13 amGetting something permanently drawn onto your body should not be a decision made quickly. So maybe a long weekend getaway with friends isn’t the best time to sit down under the needle. That giant sun wrapped in barbwire to commemorate your trip to Florida might not seem so awesome once back home in Wisconsin. Then again, vacations are known to motivate, and friends can be pretty convincing. And what more inspirational setting then ink-clad, super-hip Venice Beach, California? And what better excuse then a hotel offering a “Ink and Stay” hotel package? Hotel Erwin, the… -
Guests Cozy Up With Loaner Kindles
26 Oct 2009 | 8:23 amKnown as the Algonquin Round Table, some of the most influential literary minds of our time met at the Algonquin Hotel to share stories, opinions and meals, thus shaping the American literary landscape. Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Robert E Sherwood were among the regulars (and founders) of the group that called this chic hotel home. Ideally located in midtown Manhattan, steps from Times Square, theaters, and shopping, the Algonquin Hotel continues to be a classic choice when staying in the city. And now, if you left your favorite book at home or (even worse) on the plane, they have… -
Beehives Take Over D.C. Hotel Rooftop
20 Oct 2009 | 7:23 amWith honeybees rapidly disappearing in the U.S. over the last couple years, one hotel is stepping in to save black and yellow buzzers and the sweet golden nectar they provide. The Fairmont Washington D.C. recently let 105,000 honeybees check in to three new hives on the hotel’s roof. The 300 pounds of honey that the bees are expected to yield within the first year will be used in soups, salad dressings, pastries, ice cream and other delectable creations in the hotel’s Juniper restaurant. Of course, this begs the question: Will guests want to stay in a hotel that is also home to over… -
Free Pot Brownies at Hard Rock San Diego
21 Jul 2009 | 12:34 pmYes, you read it right: To commemorate Woodstock’s 40th anniversary, San Diego’s Hard Rock Hotel is giving away free pot brownies to all guests checking in from August 14-16. The brownies, served à la mode, will come straight from the hotel’s cafe, Maryjane’s. So…wait, what? Okay, so the brownies aren’t exactly the ones that you’re thinking of. The warm, gooey treats are named for the little ceramic pots in which they are baked-to-order—as opposed to any secret ingredients. Normally we don’t like being duped by press releases, but this one was actually quite… -
Guests Bike for Free at Canada’s Fairmont Hotels
2 Jul 2009 | 12:52 pmVisiting and getting around a new city is never easy–but biking is fun, great exercise, and offers fantastic views of any new place. We’ve previously covered the trend of hotels offering loaner bikes for guests, and it looks like the amenity is continuing to spread like wildfire. As of this spring, Fairmont Hotels across Canada have introduced state-of-the-art BMW Cruise Bikes as the newest benefit for guests. At the Fairmont Château Whistler, guests can explore mountainside bike paths, while guests at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth can expore the avenues of Montreal before…
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Mickey News
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First look: 'Tiana's Showboat Jubilee' opens at Disneyland for a limited run
5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmI got a sneak peek at "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee" last night, and I have to say I really enjoyed the latest Disneyland show. The limited-engagement show, tied to the upcoming "Princess and the Frog" animated movie from Disney, begins its daily run at the Anaheim theme park starting Friday (Nov. 6). The 20-minute production - presented four times a day - continues through Jan. 3. About three dozen performers dressed in 1920s-era Mardi Gras costumes dance through the crowds in second-line fashion near New Orleans Square before boarding the Mark Twain Riverboat for a… -
Disney to rebrand sports complex as ESPN
5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmWalt Disney Co's sports complex in central Florida will be renamed in February after its ESPN unit, in a move to strengthen the well-known sports brand's ties with young athletes. -
ABC's Roberts lands Janet Jackson interview
5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmABC has booked a prime-time interview with pop star Janet Jackson, expected to be her first lengthy television interview since her brother Michael's death. -
Race against time for Disneyland
5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmHong Kong Disneyland must win its race against time and complete its expansion before the company's Shanghai attraction opens in 2014. That was the message from Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan yesterday as the Lantau Island attraction ruled out cheaper admission fees to attract more visitors. -
Disney Shanghai: Good for China, Bad for Hong Kong
5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmIt's been a crummy 24 hours for the Hong Kong tourism industry. The first piece of bad news: China has given the green light to Disney to build a theme park in Shanghai. The $3.5 billion Chinese facility will sprawl across about 1,000 acres which will dwarf Hong Kong Disneyland's 296 acre lot. Mainland Chinese account for more than one third of the visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland, and once the Magic Kingdom sets up in the Middle Kingdom much of that business will get cannibalized. Hong Kong legislator Emily Lau, a long-time critic of Hong Kong Disneyland in which the government has…
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DISney News Stories - wdwinfo.com
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Disney coming to China
4 Nov 2009 | 8:37 amA $4 billion Disney theme park in Shanghai has been approved by the Chinese government. -
Child injured in golf cart accident at Disney's Fort Wilderness
2 Nov 2009 | 7:20 pmA 4-year old girl was injured this weekend at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness when the golf cart she was riding in tipped over. -
Man with loaded gun arrested at Downtown Disney
2 Nov 2009 | 9:53 amPolice arrested a man at Downtown Disney this week who had been seen earlier with a gun. -
SeaWorld raises ticket prices
1 Nov 2009 | 8:19 pmSeaWorld Orlando has raised it one-day base ticket prices to $78.95, to keep up with the recent price hikes by Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. -
Disney Cruise Line unveils plans for new ship
29 Oct 2009 | 7:31 pmDisney Cruise Line began construction on their new ship in March 2009. The scheduled maiden voyage for the Dream is planned for January 26, 2011.
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L.A. Times - USC Trojans
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USC's Everson Griffen won't play against Arizona State
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThe junior defensive end, who leads the Pac-10 with eight sacks, is sidelined by a toe injury and does not travel with the Trojans for Saturday's game in Tempe, Ariz. The junior defensive end, who leads the Pac-10 with eight sacks, is sidelined by a toe injury and does not travel with the Trojans for Saturday's game in Tempe, Ariz. -
Trojans try to reboot themselves at Arizona State
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amUSC, coming off a devastating loss at Oregon, will try to get back on track against the aggressive Sun Devils at Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday. USC, coming off a devastating loss at Oregon, will try to get back on track against the aggressive Sun Devils at Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday. -
Ex-Trojans still in shock as USC attempts to rebound from loss
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amLast week's ambush at Oregon confounds former players, but history points to a USC win Saturday against Arizona State. Last week's ambush at Oregon confounds former players, but history points to a USC win Saturday against Arizona State. -
Letters: USC gets trampled after the loss
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amAfter watching the Oregon Ducks run wild in a 47-20 loss, fans have some choice words for the Trojans. For the past few years we have had to hear from spoiled USC fans about having to settle for the Rose Bowl as Pac-10 champs. Well, bandwagon Trojans fans, you should be more careful what you wish for. I know Oregon fans will be honored and very appreciative. -
Pete Carroll's Trojans know how to rebound
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amSince the start of the 2002 season, the coach's second at USC, his teams have never lost back-to-back games. Returning to form
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Writing Roads
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Because sometimes, things need a little massaging
6 Nov 2009 | 7:59 amI’m not usually into massage. I think it’s because 7 years ago, I had an especially intense rub-down of the Ayurvedic variety and woke up the the next morning to greet my first of 40 some-odd kidney stones. Now granted, the massage didn’t give me the kidney stone. When they did an MRI, my kidneys were so chock-full, they looked like a 1960’s fallout shelter – just substitute cans of tuna and beans for tiny, jagged rocks. What the massage did do was take me from my deliriously innocent state wherein I was 29 and believed myself to be the picture of health (and… -
Go where you want to write.
4 Nov 2009 | 8:56 amThe most critical piece of advice that I give to anyone who wants to write – whether I’m officially coaching them or not – is that they have to find their voice. And to do this, I highly recommend that they write like they’re talking to their best friend, mate, cohort – the person who makes them feel like their greatest self, the person who doesn’t judge, who wants the world for them, who loves and encourages their bright light to shine, shine, shine. By the way, it’s not your mother or anyone that holds an emotionally charged lightening rod to you. -
Crystal balls, English accents and tea leaves
2 Nov 2009 | 7:14 amIt’s hard for me to write a post that mentions my neighbor (let’s call her Mary – because she’s a far, far cry from the virgin mother) without including a picture. But I do want to keep her anonymity. So, I’m linking you to the ‘Shoes’ video since she dressed up like that girl (or guy?) for Halloween. 1. I think it will help you get the point of how wacky she is, and 2. She looked exactly like him/her. Exactly. I will tell you however, because it’s her most intense feature (besides the fact that she smells like hooch and incense) that her real… -
Go get it.
30 Oct 2009 | 9:20 amI had the good fortune of meeting Chris Brogan on Tuesday night…and to listen to him tell story after story, all of them heavy with hidden ideas and more than a fair bit of laughter. One in particular keeps playing in my head… Chris’ phone rings and he answers. A pipe fitter or roofer or something of that nature is on the other end, chewing his dinner loudly into the phone. In between chomps, slurps and smacks, he tells Chris, “Someone told me I should call you.” Chew, swallow. “That you might be able to help me.” Burp, gulp. “Do you think I… -
Holy bonus, Batman.
28 Oct 2009 | 5:44 amSomething strange has happened. I’m about to call the EPA and have them check my water. I can’t think of any other explanation. Here’s the thing: I’m ahead. I’m not just caught up with my work, I have things done before they’re due – as in, in advance of their deadline. It’s not that I’m a slacker usually, it’s just that I love the thrill of the deadline, so I usually push each one to the limit. But this week, I’ve been like a machine. Can I tell you how many times I checked my calendar this week to verify that it was actually…
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Published and Profitable
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Sell more books with teleseminars
6 Nov 2009 | 9:34 amFriday’s upcoming events for authors Teleseminars and teleconferences are one of the most powerful tools authors can use to market their books. Book marketing teleseminars are flexible, easy to set-up, fun to present, and highly effective. They’re great for cultivating, and maintaining, profitable relationships with readers and clients. Many authors call them their Number One book marketing tool. If you’re not presently using teleseminars to market and sell your books, you’ll definitely want to attend Published & Profitable’s free event next week! Get the… -
Get the inside story on the business impact of writing a book
4 Nov 2009 | 11:16 pmThursday’s profit tip for authors Self-employed professionals and firms interested in getting the inside story of the business impact of writing a book will find the information they’re looking for in the detailed 2-part Business Book Publishing Series report from RainToday.com, the research and publishing arm of the Wellesley Hills Group. Report One contains 80 pages. It’s title is The Business Impact of Writing a Book: Data, Analysis, and Lessons from Professional Service Providers Who Have Done It. Report Two is The Ultimate Guide to Publishing and Marketing a Business… -
Graphic design makeover–see how design adds value to words
3 Nov 2009 | 10:19 pmWednesday’s promotion tip for authors I’d like to show you how a skilled graphic designer, like Maria G. Nozza, can take a good design and turn it into great design, as the before and after design makeover at left, and below, shows. After making a few, relatively simple changes, the instructions to accompany a series of Published & Profitable writing worksheets change from being merely OK to projecting a far more professional and purposeful image. The before, or original, instructions On the scale of things, the original instructions, above, are not particularly bad;… -
Is there a “universal” process for writing a book?
2 Nov 2009 | 9:51 pmTuesday’s writing tip for authors Authors looking for a process to guide them through the steps involved in writing a book will discover the topic addressed throughout The Essential Don Murray: Lessons from America’s Greatest Writing Teacher. How do writers write? and How do I write? were topics that Don Murray addressed throughout his life. The search for a writing process forms the backbone of The Essential Don Murray, Thomas Newkirk and Lisa C. Miller’s just-published anthology of Don’s extensive writings, teachings, and personal notebooks. The starting point is… -
Tips for authors choosing the right title for their book
2 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amMonday’s planning tip for authors Book titles play a “make or break” role in the success of your nonfiction book. One of your most important planning topics is to choose the right title: Choose the right title, and you establish instant rapport with your intended readers. The right title clearly indicates who should buy your book, why they should buy your book, and how readers will benefit from your book. Strong titles cross boundaries; they communicate audibly and visually, contributing to sales success in bookstores and online. Choose the wrong title, however, and your…
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Las Vegas Logue
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Restaurants at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
6 Nov 2009 | 12:48 amMandalay Bay Resort and Casino is proud to offer the guests some of the best restaurants on the Strip. They offer one-of-a-kind restaurants, innovative cuisines and many choices: from casual style dining, to fine dining and late night choices. Signature Restaurants Mandalay Bay is home to some of the best signature restaurants in Las Vegas, [...] -
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
5 Nov 2009 | 12:20 amMandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a luxury hotel casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by MGM Mirage. Together with THEHotel at Mandalay Bay it offers over 4,000 hotel rooms for the guests. It also comprises a Convention Center and an Events Center. Year opened Mandalay Bay opened on March 2, 2000. The working [...] -
Things to do at Luxor Las Vegas
4 Nov 2009 | 12:51 amLuxor Las Vegas offers not only excellent accommodation, great dining, hot nightlife and fun entertainment. It also offers a variety of things to do, including interesting exhibitions, the possibility to shop, spend time at the pool or try the beauty treatments at the Spa. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition If you liked the movie Titanic or you [...] -
Entertainment at Luxor Las Vegas
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmLuxor Las Vegas features some of the best entertainment in Sin City. You can choose from stunning performances, award-winning shows and great artists. CRISS ANGEL Believe by Cirque du Soleil Together with Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil, Luxor Las Vegas presents a newest Cirque du Soleil show: Believe. It is the exploration inside Criss Angel’s [...] -
Nightclubs at Luxor Las Vegas
1 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWhether you want to dance the night away in some of the best clubs on the Strip or want to enjoy a cocktail while you gamble, Luxor Las Vegas has them all. LAX Nightclub at Luxor LAX is a 25,000 sq ft nightclub, spreading on two stories. It opens at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays [...]
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Avis
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Avis Cool Cars
5 Nov 2009 | 5:08 amThere is always lots of talk around the office about what cars we might potentially get on fleet, which cars we would like to see and what we think our customers would like to drive. Following on from Robert’s blog post on the Frankfurt Motor Show and news of our exclusivity on the Porsche Panamera in Germany, I was inspired to take a look at some of the other desirable cars available with Avis. The focus of my attention starts in the US where they have a range of cars, similar to our own Select Series fleet – Cool Cars. Immediately, the selection of cars available in the range had me… -
The life of an Avis car
3 Nov 2009 | 8:12 amBeing an Avis car means being a busy car. On average our cars travel 14,000 miles, are rented 45 times and spend 10 days in the body shop being repaired. In order to get them into the right place they are moved by 4 times by transporters spending 2 full days on the road without the cars wheels even turning. They travel the length of the country and are used for glamorous film shoots as well as for taking the kids to school. As well as all these miles driven our cars also spend a lot of time idle. A great proportion of this is when they are awaiting collection from our corporate or home… -
Christmas shopping in the UK
30 Oct 2009 | 7:23 amI’ve always considered the switching on of lights in London the official kick off to the festive season, and this morning it was announced on the radio that lights ceremony would be next weekend. When I arrived at the office, ready to share my new found Christmas spirit, one of my colleagues pointed out he is way ahead of me, as he has already finished his Christmas shopping. This sparked an animated conversation about the best places in the UK for Christmas shopping, here are our favourites. Let us know what you think and give us your suggestion. Westfield shopping centre –… -
Avis helping the Small Business customer
22 Oct 2009 | 2:59 amAvis have produced a white paper on Duty of Care to help small to medium business (SMEs) who require members of there staff to travel for work. FACT: 200 drivers are killed or injured each week whilst travelling on company business* That’s a chilling figure, but the law of averages says that many of these drivers will be working for SMEs simply because they employ more people than any other sector of UK corporate business. Research has consistently shown it is the SME sector which is least aware of the responsibilities facing employers around their driver’s safety and for that reason puts… -
Act on CO2 – Smarter driving tips
20 Oct 2009 | 11:40 amI recently read Tim Flannery’s “The Weather Makers”, which assesses the impact that the burning of fossil fuels is having on climate change and the potential consequences of this. The evidence presented overwhelmingly concludes that the burning of fossils is having an impact and, depending on the level CO2 we continue to produce, the potential economic, social and health implications could be pretty dire. Now, I’m not going to claim that I know or understand all the facts, nor am I sufficiently tooled to scrutinise or verify his analysis but, given just how bad things…
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Best Western
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SeaWorld Orlando raises ticket price. Do you care?
3 Nov 2009 | 9:43 amSeaWorld Orlando is raising its base ticket price to almost $80, the Associated Press reports.The base price of a one-day ticket to SeaWorld will rise $4 to $78.95. The move brings SeaWorld's base price to just 5 cents less than single-day, single-park tickets to Disney or Universal, both of which raised their own prices over the summer.The news caught my eye because my family is going to Orlando soon, and my children are asking about visiting to SeaWorld. A $4 increase isn't huge, but $79.95 sounds like a lot. What do you think? Is the price too high? Or does it seem reasonable? -
Thanksgiving road-trip tips
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amPlanning to drive over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house this Thanksgiving holiday? AAA offers up the following tips to ensure your trip is safe and smooth.Get proper rest. Set aside time to pack your clothes, load your vehicle and get a full night's sleep so you can set out fresh and rested. Buckle up, and make sure all passengers are secured properly with safety belts and age-appropriate child safety seats. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, eight in 10 safety seats are not installed correctly. Contact your local AAA club to have a licensed… -
Noisy 2-year-old kicked off Southwest Airlines flight: Is this fair?
31 Oct 2009 | 9:15 amYesterday, the Associated Press reported on a 2-year-old boy named Adam and his mom who were kicked off a San Jose-bound flight for being too noisy.Story goes Adam was screaming "Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy."The mom figured Adam would quiet down once the plane took off, but instead the plane returned to the gate in Amarillo Texas, and escorted them back to the airport.The mom is demanding an apology and compensation for a portable crib and diapers she had to buy for the extra night away from home.Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis told the AP that removing a crying child from a… -
Vampire vacations
28 Oct 2009 | 10:31 pmMy parents grew up with Stroker's Dracula. I was an avid reader of Anne Rice. And now the next generation is reading the popular Twilight books, and vampires are more popular than ever. No doubt, a vampire themed vacation could appeal to just about anyone in the family--and Forbes just put together a roundup of 10 destinations around the world where you're bound to find someone who will want to suck your blood.The area of Romania known as Transylvania—"home to Vlad the Impaler, the historical inspiration for Dracula"—is on the list. So is New Orleans, where you can go on a Haunted History… -
Boo at the Zoo Halloween events
28 Oct 2009 | 10:06 pmZoo animals can't eat candy but who says they can't join in all the Halloween fun. This Saturay, a handful of zoos across the country will be celebrating the spooky holiday by opening their gates to kids in costumes and offering all sorts of Halloween fun, from pumpkin carving to haunted houses.Here are a few zoos that will be throwing scary parties this weekend:Detroit ZooSaint Louis ZooBronx ZooBirmingham ZooPhoto: Bronx Zoo
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Boeing
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Magic carpet ride
3 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amWe often talk about environmental progress in aviation in terms of improving fuel efficiency and developing sustainable biofuels. But there are many other initiatives going on, including one that is literally under our feet. It involves carpet tiles for airplane passenger cabins. Maybe you read about it. A sustainable, 100% recyclable carpet tile concept took flight aboard a Southwest Airlines 737-700 from Dallas to Seattle - what Southwest is calling their Green Plane. Boeing co-developed the concept along with carpet manufacturer InterfaceFLOR and industrial design firm Teague. The… -
Second line
28 Oct 2009 | 8:01 pmOn Wednesday Boeing approved the choice of North Charleston, South Carolina for a second final assembly line for the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing Charleston will serve as a final assembly location, as well as supporting the testing and delivery of the airplanes. The second 787 assembly line will do a couple of things. It will expand our production capability and diversify our manufacturing base. We think ultimately this will reduce costs on the program, and that’s important for maintaining our competitiveness. You can read some of the details of the announcement in our news release. Boeing… -
Slow recovery, long-term growth
26 Oct 2009 | 3:05 pmSYDNEY - I've been on the "road" again in Asia and the Pacific region. I'm in Australia at the moment, where we've had an opportunity to talk about Boeing's outlook for the region we call Oceania - Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands. Later this week I'm off to Melbourne and then to Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand. Meantime, we've had some good media coverage of our forecast, which indicates that the economic downturn has reached bottom. It's going to be a long, slow process to recovery, but we've seen that the economy in this region has fared a bit better than the rest… -
Results and progress
21 Oct 2009 | 5:23 pmAny time you’re reporting a net loss for the quarter, you’re having a tough time. Clearly the bottom line about Boeing’s 3rd quarter was that our bottom line wasn’t good. You can read the full earnings news release on our Boeing Mediaroom site. But there’s another significant part of the story that I’d like to stress. And that is, despite our setbacks, we’re making good progress on our Commercial Airplanes development programs. Our new BCA leader, Jim Albaugh, told employees today that our teams are working through the challenges. And although it’s not going to be easy (and… -
Rumours
17 Oct 2009 | 2:44 pmYou’ve probably seen or heard some reports over the past couple of days implying that we’ve had to get “back to the drawing board” on the 787 modifications. Don’t believe it. As 787 vice president and general manager Scott Fancher told employees on Friday, the reports that we’ve had to somehow redesign part of the side-of-body modification solution are “off base.” On the contrary, the design of the side-of-body solution is on track, Scott said. Installations of the fittings are proceeding well and the program is pleased with the progress. ZA002 inside the temporary structure…
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Delta
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Wrap Up: Delta Museum Collectibles Show/Sale
30 Oct 2009 | 12:09 pmWe really enjoyed hosting this year’s Airline Collectibles Show and Sale in Atlanta on October 17th. Close to 700 aviation memorabilia vendors, collectors, and enthusiasts of all ages joined us in Delta’s Historic Hangars 1 and 2, and we raised over $16,000 for the non-profit Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum. Visit the Museum’s Flickr page to see more pics. I had a great time visiting all our vendors and shopping for the Delta Archives! I don’t usually buy much Delta memorabilia, because we have such a good collection already, but often look for items from… -
Log On For Free WiFi And Fight Breast Cancer
30 Oct 2009 | 6:15 amOn October 31, Gogo Inflight Internet will be free on all Gogo-equipped Delta flights and for each free session that day, Aircell will donate $1 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, up to $10,000. Additionally, all Gogo proceeds from the Pink Plane in the month of October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Customers can help support the Foundation’s mission to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by accessing Gogo on their Gogo-equipped Delta flight this Saturday for free using the code GOPINK. -
Why Can’t Every Day Be Pink?
29 Oct 2009 | 11:49 amDelta raised the bar this year with its breast cancer awareness and fundraising efforts. This year’s highlights include: · Melissa Etheridge performing an in-flight concert for approximately 60 employee breast cancer survivors on Delta’s signature Pink Plane. Click here to view the embedded video. · Delta employees staffing 25 Pink Boutiques at airports and other Delta facilities across the system. The Boutiques featured a variety of clothing and other pink accessories with all proceeds benefiting BCRF. · Onboard, flight attendants sold pink lemonade donated by The Coca-Cola Company as… -
Image of the Week: Amelia Earhart
23 Oct 2009 | 11:36 amFamous aviator Amelia Earhart is once again in the public eye this weekend with a new movie starring Hilary Swank as Amelia and a major exhibit at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. What you may not know is that Earhart was briefly part of Delta history through our merger with Northeast Airlines in 1972. We have several images of her in the Delta Archives including this one: Amelia Earhart is standing with airline and railroad officials at the launch of Boston-Maine Airways service in 1933. She was one of four partners who invested in the small New England airline operating 8-passenger… -
12 Family Vacation Preparation Tips
14 Oct 2009 | 11:52 amWhether you are taking a family vacation on a warm, sunny beach or traveling to Washington, D.C. for a first-hand lesson in American history, you will have more fun and relaxation if you plan ahead using these tips: Book early. When you book early, you can take advantage of early booking discounts, special hotel offers, not to mention the dates you need to fit into your children’s school schedule. Choose family friendly destinations. You may not want a destination that features nightclubs if your children go to bed at 8 pm; instead you will want plenty of entertaining daytime activities…
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Garmin Blog
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Peg’s Posts: Meeting a hero
6 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pmI keep a copy of the Dec. 2006 issue of Runner’s World at my desk. It’s the annual “heroes of running” issue and one page is carefully marked so I can refer to it often. The story is on Molly Barker, who was honored as a hero for her role as founder and vision keeper of Girls on the Run, a program that instills self-confidence and educates young girls through a curriculum-based running program. This week, I had the pleasure of meeting Molly at a local conference for women involved with this organization. Molly confided that she’d been wanting to check out a Garmin fitness watch and… -
Caddy Confidential: Tips From The Tips
6 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amYou can't help but be excited about playing a two-man scramble where the head pro boasts about putting the pins and tee-boxes in "places you'd never imagine." Such was the case at the season ending "Tilly's Terror" that a buddy and I played in a few weeks back at Swope Memorial. And with par fours that normally play 380 yards playing 450 yards, we felt like we had a bit of an advantage with our Approach G5. When we saw that the "tee box" for the first hole was set behind the practice putting green (pictured below), we knew our G5 would come in handy because we'd be playing from spots we… -
Garmin Buzz at AOPA Summit
5 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pmIt's day one of the AOPA Summit and our booth is packed with people wanting to see the aera. Although the aera is our big show announcement, we definitely don't want to overlook two other announcements that were made this morning. First, if you're planning to install new avionics to your aircraft between now and Christmas, you should check out our Soar into Savings rebate program. You can get up to $7000 in rebates on equipment like the G600, GNS 430W/530W, GWX 68, GDL 69/69A, and more. We understand the economy is tight right now, and this rebate will help you stretch your dollars a little… -
Victor's Vectors: See the aera at AOPA Summit
4 Nov 2009 | 11:42 amTomorrow is the opening day of AOPA Summit and we've heard from numerous customers who plan to attend the show so that they can see our new touchscreen portable GPS, the aera. If you're one of the many that will be at AOPA Summit, make sure you visit us at booth #1213. Since announcing the aera, many of our customers have asked how the new product line compares to our traditional GPSMAP aviation handheld series. If you're familiar with the GPSMAP series, it may be helpful to know that the aera 500 has similar features to the GPSMAP 296, the aera 510 has similar features to the… -
Getting ready for race day
3 Nov 2009 | 9:37 amIt's a big weekend for Porsche Carrera Cup Japan (PCCJ) fans.In case you weren't aware, Garmin sponsors Porsche Carrera Cup Japan car #88 with driver Sho Hanawa. This weekend, drivers will be at the Shanghai International Circuit, which features enough straight stretches to offer smooth rides, yet throws up some treacherous curves to set up tricky moments. Unique snail-like turns at two points of the track may also pose a special challenge to drivers, and prove to be sufficient opportunities for overtaking maneuvers. Go Garmin!
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Google Apps highlights 11/6/2009
6 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pmThis is part of a regular series of Google Apps updates that we post every couple of weeks. Look for the label "Google Apps highlights" and subscribe to the series. - Ed. Individuals, businesses and schools are switching to Google Apps to communicate more efficiently from anywhere, collaborate without the hassle of attachments, save money, and get continuous innovation. Because you use Google Apps in your browser, improvements like new features in Google forms show up automatically. Starting today, we'll post a recap every couple of weeks highlighting significant improvements we've made in… -
This week in search 11/6/09
6 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmThis week we brought out some new search tools for the phone and for the web. We also enhanced our universal search with a better interface for product results. Multiple pictures of products in Universal Search We've added multiple images to product results in Universal Search. On broader queries, this helps you get a sense of the range of products available to you for the query. Here's what it looks like: Example searches: digital cameras, pin nailer, glider, bouncy house, outdoor dining set Search Options panel now has page previews and is live in more languages We have added a new tool to… -
Even more music for you to find with Google search
6 Nov 2009 | 10:06 amLast week, we launched a new music search feature, which helps you search and discover millions of songs with a simple Google search. When you search for an artist, song, album or even a few lyrics, you'll find links to our partner sites — putting you just one click away from listening to and purchasing the music you're looking for. To celebrate our launch, MySpace and Lala are hosting exclusive, never-before-heard tracks from a variety of artists — and we're helping people to find those tracks through a simple Google search. So if you're a Lady Gaga fan looking for a new remix, in love… -
Transparency, choice and control — now complete with a Dashboard!
5 Nov 2009 | 2:15 amToday, we are excited to announce the launch of Google Dashboard. Have you ever wondered what data is stored with your Google Account? The Google Dashboard offers a simple view into the data associated with your account — easily and concisely in one location.Over the past 11 years, Google has focused on building innovative products for our users. Today, with hundreds of millions of people using those products around the world, we are very aware of the trust that you have placed in us, and our responsibility to protect your privacy and data. In the past, we've taken numerous steps in this… -
Introducing Google Commerce Search: Finding holiday gifts faster
4 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pmThe holiday season is right around the corner, so online retailers are gearing up for spikes in traffic. When people go to shop online, search is big part of finding the right product, whether they're looking for a gift or just something for themselves. Today we're aiming to make e-commerce searching as easy as using Google.com with a new enterprise product, Google Commerce Search.Search quality is a big factor in changing visitors to buyers online, and in making customers happy too. Visitors spend an average of just eight seconds before deciding whether or not to remain on a website, so…
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Have Kids Will Travel
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A D-Day at the Beach
6 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amI was a little apprehensive to visit Omaha Beach with my young kids. I didn’t really want to contaminate their innocence with the knowledge of war and the horrors that man can inflict on man just yet. At ages 4 and 6, do they really need to be aware of world events like D-Day and [...] -
10 Tips for Home Exchange Newbies
3 Nov 2009 | 6:31 amI confess, I have a new online addiction. While some have fallen prey to time zappers like Facebook, Twitter or Wordscraper, I can get lost for hours on home exchange websites. For a travel junkie like me, sniffing around various house-swapping possibilities around the world is like wanderlust crack. Pick a country, any country, and I [...] -
Nuts About Art
30 Oct 2009 | 8:14 amMy daughters test their artistic skills in Monet’s garden in Giverny. This summer we exposed our 4- and 6-year-old daughters to most of the major museums and galleries throughout Paris - and they loved it! This was their first taste of the formal “art world” and they took to it more in than we anticipated. The secret [...] -
A Swapping Success
26 Oct 2009 | 9:12 amWe made our first foray into the world of house swapping this summer. To the raised eyebrows of friends and family everywhere, we let virtual “strangers” live in our home while we lived in theirs, a win-win mutual accommodation solution particularly good for travellers with kids. Home exchange is a phenomenon that is really starting to [...] -
Going for the brass ring
22 Oct 2009 | 9:37 pmYou know that that expression “going for the brass ring”? It comes from an old carousel tradition where children try to reach out and hook a metal loop as their horse gallops around the ride. You don’t see this feature in many merry-go-rounds these days, but it is alive and well in at least one [...]
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National Geographic Traveler Magazine
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Trip Lit: Book Review Column
Don George reviews Surviving Paradise by Peter Rudiak-Gould. Plus: mysteries, maps, and more. Stephen Jay Gould - Paleontology - Earth Sciences - JayLeno - Invertebrates -
133 Places Rated
In our sixth annual survey, discover where some of our most celebrated destinations rank, based on such factors as pollution, cultural authenticity, and tourism management. -
Presented By:
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Photo of the Week: Austria
Download a photograph from Hallstatt, Austria. -
Traveler's Best Photos of 2009
See a slideshow of Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows' favorite pictures published in Traveler magazine.
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Mashable!
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POLL: TweetDeck Trounces Seesmic Desktop in Reader Vote
6 Nov 2009 | 8:41 pmWe’ve had a number of close calls here during our Web Faceoff series, but this wasn’t one of them. This week we pitted TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop against each other in a bar room brawl for favorite Twitter client. Now, the results are in. Whereas last week’s Windows 7 versus OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard battle was a close one, with Windows 7 going the distance to outlast the current Mac OS, this week’s showdown had a big winner. …and TweetDeck was it, with a full 71% of the vote (3294 votes) as compared to Seesmic Desktop’s 23% (1055 votes). Six percent or 260… -
iPhone Coming to Verizon in 2010 [RUMOR]
6 Nov 2009 | 5:21 pmMany signs point to the Apple and AT&T agreement that makes the latter the exclusive carrier of the iPhone within the US coming to an end within the next year. For starters, non-exclusivity has been profitable for Apple in other parts of the world. Moreover, even AT&T’s CEO acknowledges the deal won’t last forever. And while Verizon might be all about showing off what Droid does right now, a new report suggests it could become the first carrier other than AT&T to offer iPhone on American soil, starting in the second half of 2010. According to a report obtained by Apple… -
DocVerse Puts Google Docs-Like Collaboration Inside Microsoft Office
6 Nov 2009 | 5:20 pmThis post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: DocVerse Quick Pitch: DocVerse brings the collaboration functionality of products like Google Docs to the 600 million users of Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Genius Idea: Collaboration is a key to success in any business, especially when you have a scattered team that needs to work on documents constantly. There are already a lot of options,… -
FishVille Launches on Facebook; It’s Like Underwater FarmVille
6 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pmWe were sort of surprised to discover how many of you proclaim your love for FarmVille, the social farming sim game from Zynga. We reported that the company had trademarked the name FishVille last month, and speculated that an aquatic derivative of the wildly popular social game might be in the works. And indeed it was, with FishVille launching in beta today. It’s a bit of a late contender to the aquarium games space, with Happy Aquarium, Fish World and My Fishbowl all getting a head start. Nevertheless, Zynga has enough clout in the social games space to make FishVille a quick winner… -
5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers
6 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pmMegan Berry is an evangelist for Mobclix, the industry’s largest mobile ad exchange, working on social media and marketing. She also blogs at The Huffington Post and the Mobclix blog. You can follow her on Twitter as @meganberry, or through the @Mobclix handle. Unsure about mixing your iPhone with wine? Well, if you’re a true vinophile, the iPhone is an amazing device to keep you more connected to your wine. The following list of top wine apps on the iPhone will convince you that mixing the two is worth the risk of spilling some pinot noir on your phone. Like wine itself, these…
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Gizmodo
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The iPhone Nano Rumor Strikes Again: Coming to Verizon in 2010? [Rumor]
7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amThe latest round of iPhone rumors reads like a roundup of everything we've heard before. Now the mythical iPhone nano is back, and supposedly said device will be coming to Verizon in 2010 featuring a... -
8-Bit Wedding Invitation Acknowledges the Marital Bickering to Come [8-Bit Wedding]
7 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amI love this 8-bit wedding invitation. Not only for the design, but because it not-so-subtly portrays marriage as a prolonged Street Fighter match. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against... -
Zune HD Update 4.3 Out, Souped Up Browser, Predictive Text and More [Zune Hd]
7 Nov 2009 | 7:24 amZune HD users should be able to download the latest firmware update now, and it's substantial enough to warrant grabbing ASAP. There's a speedier browser, predictive text entry (a la iPhone), and... -
Hello Facebook User, I'm a Nigerian Prince in Need of Assistance... [Facebook]
7 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amFacebook ad scamming is on the rise, unsurprising for a site gaining a huge user base—what is surprising, if the allegation proves true, is Facebook's complicity in allowing the dodgy ads.... -
Gigabyte BIOS Update Fixes iPhone Syncing Issues [IPhone]
7 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amGigabyte's been listening to all of the iPhone syncing issues from motherboard owners using Intel's P55 chipset. They've put out a beta BIOS that addresses the problem. Unfortunately, that doesn't...
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Engadget
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Zune HD v4.3 firmware out now: fixes playcount bug, adds lots of great things (video)
7 Nov 2009 | 9:22 amWho says Microsoft ain't lookin' out for those who selected its Zune HD over something Designed In Cupertino? Just days after countless owners went berserk over a playcount syncing issue, Microsoft has released a new firmware update that not only solves that very quandary but also adds a gaggle of fantastic new and / or improved features. The v4.3 update is available now by selecting "Player Update" from within the device itself, and with it will come "support for upcoming 3d games and applications, as well as an auto-suggest feature for better text input, and other minor improvements." We're… -
Switched On: Developing a sense of rumor
7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amWe're proud to congratulate Ross Rubin@rossrubin on five years of Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Check out the first-ever Switched On right here -- we're looking forward to five more years! Good morning, students. My name is Dr. John Fleming and I welcome you all to MKTG 503: Fictional Technology Product Development. Hopefully, you've all fulfilled the prerequisites to this class, MTG 324: New Product Development and any accredited undergraduate Government class in plausible deniability. As your professor this semester, I'd like to provide a brief overview of the material we… -
Sixth Sense creator to release code, wearable gesture interface becomes a reality for all
7 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amIf we're being honest (and trust us, we're being honest), Pranav Mistry's Sixth Sense contraption has always baffled us. It's kind of like Sony's Rolly. It looks cool, it sounds rad, but we're fairly certain only 2.49 people actually know and fully comprehend how it works. That said, we're more than jazzed about the possibility of having wearable gesture interfaces gracing every human we come into contact with, and rather than attempting to make his invention "comply with some kind of corporate policy," he's purportedly aiming to release the source code into the wild in order to let "people… -
ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video
7 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amASRock's family of nettops may not be anything special when it comes to design, but the ION 330HT-BD can definitely handle its fair share of multimedia. The Atom CPU could unquestionably use a bit lot more oomph, but the NVIDIA Ion GPU and the integrated Blu-ray drive make this little fellow quite the entertainer. Care to see what it looks like inside and out? Hop on past the break and mash play, then.Continue reading ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on videoFiled under: DesktopsASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video originally appeared on… -
Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video)
7 Nov 2009 | 3:33 amInflatable seat belts. At a glance, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all, particularly for those rear seat passengers who aren't blessed with two huge bags or air right in front of their chest. We're guessing the top brass at Ford feel pretty much the same way, as the outfit has just announced that these very devices will be making their debut in the next-generation Ford Explorer before rolling out across the fleet. Of course, Lexus is also planning to shove these into its ultra-luxurious LFA (which will probably make a grand total of 14 wealthy owners feel really, really safe),…
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Shiny Shiny
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How to be a Human Online
5 Nov 2009 | 10:35 amLovely blog post from social media guru Chris Brogan on how to be a human online or "at a distance" as he puts it. Aimed at corporates trying to be friendly on social media, there are also some useful tips for the average geek wishing to communicate their personal charm a bit better... get friends, dates, free software, that sort of thing. -
Ribbit - a phone network for web 2.0
5 Nov 2009 | 9:33 amA silicon valley company have set up a mobile phone network - it's smart, user-friendly and it aims to change what we expect from phone networks - forever. Yes, Forever. In the rapidly morphing world of telecomm it's sometimes hard to categorise the new products that crop up. Ribbit is one of those services. Part internet provider, part mobile phone network provider, a bit like an open-source Skype... it describes itself as an open platform for voice innovation. Ribbit connects up devices to the internet, any internet-ennabled device, not just one of your phones, as in the current system. -
Meme of the Day: mashing up the crap bits of social networks to create social network dystopia
5 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amToday's meme can be best described as... Mashing up the bad bits of one social networking site with the bad bits of another social networking site to make something mind-bogglingly dystopian. Social networking? More like terror networking. The only one example of this I have come across is FaceSpace a truly genius concoction of Facebook and MySpace - mixing, yes the songs that auto-play from MySpace with the "melodramatic friend spam" from Facebook, with the give-me-your-credit-card-ads from MySpace and the 500 pictures of me in my bathroom from Facebook. Please go see the full page here:… -
iSkin FX SE, the iPhone skin with geometric ripples and a mirror screen
5 Nov 2009 | 6:13 amAnother day, another iPhone skin, this time it's matte and embossed and in three different colours: Onyx (black), Cosmo (pink) and Ice (white). Cosmo works best with a white phone of course. The iSkins aren't chunky phone-swaddling protectors but they do offer increased protection as well as an interesting feel and the look, which I genuinely like: the translucent designer circles look like geometric ripples. This one has an anti-microbial substance impregnated in the skin which prevents odours and stains. Another interesting feature on the iSkin solo FX SE is the screen-covering surface… -
Take That comes to SingStar
5 Nov 2009 | 4:41 amOoo, Take That comes to the Singstar catalogue tomorrow. Fans around the world can now sing / howl tunelessly to the boy band's energetic pop tunes and soulful ballads. The latest addition to the Singing game's catalogue includes 25 of the classics and a few more off-beat hits.
