Travel plan idea blog

Job opening - must be willing to travel

MI6 is advertising for spies (euphemistically called "operational officers") in the independent-travel magazine Wanderlust according to this article. I guess being a spy would be more exciting than teaching linguistics and I'm certainly willing to travel. Should I apply?

Connecticut's Quiet Corner travel plan: Family Weekend Itinerary

The Quiet Corner - Family Weekend Itinerary

Remember the previous Connecticut travel plan? Well here is number 2:

Accommodations: Nathan Hale Inn & Conference Center at UCONN, Storrs (www.nathanhaleinn.com). Indoor pool.

Nathan Fuller House B&B, Scotland (www.nathanfullerhouse.com) – B&B experience for the family. 1820 colonial on 5 beautiful acres offers “return to life’s simpler pleasures.”

Inn at Tonmar, Pomfret Center (tel. 860-974-1583) - Scenic hilltop inn welcomes families. Stonewalls, gardens, 18th century barn. Two rooms only.

Camping Options: Nickerson Park Family Campground, Chaplin (www.nickersonpark.com) – On the Natchaug River next to 12,000 acre Natchaug State Forest and offering trout fishing, tube floats down the river, hiking and mountain biking.

Charlie Brown Campground, Eastford (www.ctcampground.com) – On the Natchaug River, 30+ acres adjacent to the Natchaug State Forest. Miles of nature trails for horseback riding, biking, hiking and some of the best fishing in CT.

First Day: Depending on where you stay, Bakerwoods, Ashford (wwwv.visitbakerwoodsfarm.com) -- For smaller children, farm animals, themed Enchanted Forest, Gnome/ISpy walks in woods.

Lucky Strike Mining and Gemstone Panning Sluice, Moosup River, Oneco/Sterling (www.riverbendcampground.com) – Prospect your own gems, then rent canoes kayaks, paddle boats or aquacycles. One of the best canoeing rivers in Connecticut. This is also a campground

Learn, hike and explore on pristine wooded trails at Audubon Properties at Bafflin Sanctuary and Trail Wood, Pomfret (www.ctaudubon.org).

Lunch: Picnic on the banks of the Moosup River, or visit Scotland General Store, Scotland (tel. 860-450-1422)– Old-fashioned General Store offering lunch. Another option, Johnny’s Restaurant & Pizza, Moosup (tel. 860.564-3679) – Area favorite for 25 years.

Burgis Brook Alpacas, Canterbury (www.burgisbrookalpacas.com) – Delightful alpacas for the kids, accessories and yarn for mom.

Blue Slope Country Farm and Museum, Franklin (tel. 860-642-6413) – Museum of 18th to 20th century rural life. Dairy farm offers butter making, wagon rides, square dancing and over 200 years of historical farm equipment.

Dinner & a Movie Bidwell Tavern, Coventry (tel. 860-742-6978) – Step back into colonial times with hearty fare; chicken wings a specialty with a dozen flavors.

Mansfield Drive-In, Mansfield (www.mansfielddrivein.com) – Catch a double feature at one of the last drive-in theatres in the U.S. This site is also home to Eastern Connecticut’s largest flea market. Fun to explore, days. Check times.

Second Day

Breakfast Olympic Family Restaurant, Willimantic (tel. 860-450-0555) – Featuring 16 omelet choices and a great kids menu.

Bicycle sales at The Silver Bike Company, Putnam (www.thesilverbikeco.com) - they offer route suggestions to anyone) or take an organized trip through Cycle New England (www.cyclenewengland.com). Ride through relatively flat farmlands and small villages for most cycle-alone ages. Check availability of bikes with seats for smaller children.

Airline State Park Trail, Windham/Willimantic (South) - Abandoned NY-Boston railroad turned bike path with panoramic views. Go as far as Colchester and back. This is an auto free route.

Lunch: Cozy Corner Restaurant, Brooklyn (tel. 860-774-2629) – A favorite with locals. Homestyle cooking.

Creamery Brook Bison (tel. 860-779.0837) – Watch buffalo stampede from a wagon tour of the property. Butter and ice cream making.

Brighter Skies Balloon Co., Woodstock (www.brighterskies.com) – A ride they’ll never forget. This company can also offer packages with inns close by.

Dinner: Vanilla Bean Café, Pomfret (www.thevanillabeancafe.com) – Many Best’s By Connecticut Magazine including Best Outdoor Dining, Best Sandwiches and Best Vegetarian. Vanilla Bean cafe is home to the Vanilla Coke.

Third Day: Gertrude Chandler Warner Museum in Putnam (www.aspinockhs-putnam.org/warnermuseum.html) – Museum celebrating the author of the popular Boxcar Children Series. Located in a real boxcar.

Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Pomfret (www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325238) – Hike nature trails that include famous geological features General Israel Putnam’s Wolfden, Table Rock and Indian Chair.

Lunch: Stogey Hollow General Store & Restaurant, Eastford/Union (860-974-2889). Other option: Still River Café, Eastford (www.stillrivercafe.com) – 150 year-old barn on 27 acre farm. Acclaimed for using only local products on their menu, including ingredients they farm themselves. Tour the vegetable and herb gardens afterwards. Possibly better for older children.

Buell Farm, Eastford (www.buellsorchard.com) – Strawberry, blueberry, peach and apple picking. Cider making. Visit their site to see what’s in season.

Visit www.mysticcountry.com for more ideas or detail on any of the above locations.

Suggestions for a New York girls' getaway

This article offers a few tips for a girls' getaway in Manhattan, complete with shopping, spa, theater, and a strip club. If you're in New York for more than one day you could even add a museum or a famous landmark.

I guess I'm not real impressed with these few suggestions. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes to double or triple the number of possible activities considering how much there is to do in New York. And maybe I'm surprised at myself for mentioning a strip club on this blog - pretty sure this is the first time...

How did your grandparents travel? 3 new blogs

This blog entry (I don't know what kind of blog it is actually - maybe a personal blog) talks about the author's desire to hit a beach this summer (either the Jersey shore or one in Croatia) and then goes on to show pictures of relatives on the beach from the 1930s.

And speaking of previous generations, this blog entry talks about views toward old people (or should I say elderly or senior citizens?) in general before breaking into a travel story about eating in Germany's Black Forest (Schwarzwald). You can either stop reading there or move on to the stuff about how old isn't ugly and that sex scenes in movies starring old people are to be applauded... If I could live my life over again I would have stopped after the travel story.

This blog from a Cleveland newspaper talks about coffee culture in Paris. The writer felt conspicuously American walking around with a $2 McDonald's coffee instead of stopping at a cafe for $6 (or more) coffee.

Well there are 3 blogs you may or may not be interested in. I'm not sure if those newspaper blogs really count as blogs since they get paid to do their thing but whatever - if they call themselves blogger I guess I'm OK with it.

Could I have been wrong about the economy seriously hurting the travel industry?

A few days ago I suggested that the economy will hurt the travel industry. There is room for conflicting opinions however. This article says that more Americans are traveling abroad this year than last year. It doesn't say if people are going to Canada instead of France but it's still significant - we're not talking about staycations if one goes abroad.

This article says that hotel bookings are fairly typical for this time of year - another possible indication that people are traveling despite the weak economy.

Interestingly, each article also mentions that the economy might be changing vacation plans. The first says that 51% of people say that money is the biggest problem when planning a vacation and the second quotes a hotel manager who thinks people will be taking shorter trips. But if the same number of people end up in his hotel I guess there's a chance the travel industry won't suffer much.

This article suggests that the way people travel could change. I personally love the suggestion of bringing snacks instead of stopping for fast food. Save money and your heart.

Iraq and Afghanistan hope to attract tourists

Chances are good that these two countries are not on your list of places to visit – although if you want to catch up with Charles Veley, and visit almost every country, state and island in the world, you will have to reconsider.

Surprisingly, Iraq actually attracted over 500,000 tourists last year, although virtually all of them were from neighboring Iran. The Iraqi tourist board (yes, apparently there is one!) admits the country would have a hard time attracting American and European tourists, although it is trying hard to do just that. Marriot is supposedly considering building a hotel in Baghdad and several Iraqi companies actually offer guided group tours of Baghdad and other destinations – complete with security.

There is no Iraqi tourist office in the USA, although there is a tourist office in Baghdad (protected by blast walls) and this site does quite a good job of trying to persuade me that Iraq may be a good place to visit. A rather different account of daily life in Iraq can be read here.

Afghanistan is another unlikely tourist destination and the country has been working hard recently to attract foreign visitors. This site does a good job of making the country sound like an appealing destination and indeed some of the attractions do sound intriguing. Tourist attractions include the Hindu Kush mountain area, the ancient town of Bamiyan and the many beautiful examples of Islamic architecture. Many people do visit the country and live to tell the tale - for example, this article describes the challenge of playing a round of golf at the Kabul Golf Club.

If you want to experience something of Afghanistan’s fascinating culture a little bit closer to home, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is currently hosting a display of almost 200 artifacts and sculptures from the country, some of them dating from 2000 BC. If you prefer to read about dangerous places, I can recommend this book.

Guest entry by Mancunian

Air travel to get even worse thanks to charging for checked bags?

This article talks about how American Airlines' new policy to charge for every checked bag could screw up your next flight experience. There may be longer security lines and more people with ridiculous amounts of carry-on luggage delaying takeoff.

Mother's day travel experience

This article talks about a weekend in San Diego. Most of it sounds like fun although the writer did almost miss her plane. Of course I really did miss a plane once so I understand... I don't understand how the writer's friend set off an emergency exit alarm in a museum though.

Anyway, we hear about the Gaslamp quarter and the Coronado ferry. For some more specific stuff from this blog, you could try eating in San Diego and the San Diego travel plan.

Violence in South Africa: Governments issuing travel warnings

This article on the violence in South Africa made it to Yahoo's front page and has a definite impact on travel:

Officials in the tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy, are worried overseas visitors will avoid the country. A number of Western governments have issued travel warnings for South Africa, and tour companies report rising cancellations.

It's not exactly clear how much violence (if any) is taking place in the touristy areas and we already reported here on this blog that outside of these areas things can be dangerous.

I do hope that travel to South Africa becomes more convenient soon as I really want to see the penguins at Cape Town.

Bangkok, Colombo, Istanbul and Mumba are among the cheapest places to buy round-the-world tickets

Here's an interesting travel Q & A from the International Herald Tribune. They say round-the-world tickets are too complicated to buy online and that you should start your round-the-world (and get your tickets in) the least expensive place on your itinerary.

There are also a few tips on frequent flyer miles - using them is too complicated if you ask me (although Mancunian did offer some help).

Jetting to green: JetBlue contest

Not too long ago, one of my shortest entries ever attracted a number of commenters railing against carbon credits. So this JetBlue "Jetting to green" contest is interesting:

Today we are launching our new environmental initiative, Jetting to Green, and to celebrate we're giving away:

One Toyota Prius® hybrid
One $3,000 Smith & Hawken Gift Card
One Energy Star® qualified Sharp AQUOS® LCD TV with a Blue-ray Disc™ player and a Green Planet Films DVD library
Five (5) Pangea Organics Gift Bags valued at $200 each
Plus, bonus sweepstakes prizes featuring an Eco-Culinary Retreat at Rosas Farms with the Organic Chef for the winner and three friends or a trip for two at The Boulder Resort and Golden Spa

About Jetting to Green

No matter what your stance is on today's environmental issues, there's no question that a cleaner, greener planet is good for us all. Jetting to Green is about working together to make a difference - within our company, our industry and our communities - because together we really can make the world a better place.

Carbonfund.org Partnership

One important initiative is carbon offsetting. JetBlue has partnered with Carbonfund.org to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by our crewmembers when they travel for corporate business in 2008. This will finance the planting of approximately 11,200 trees in Louisiana, creating a 40-acre forest. You can help to offset your travel or any component of your lifestyle!

So JetBlue says carbon offsetting is important. But remember this isn't me telling you what to do!

Anyway, the contest is here - look for "Jetting to green".

Advertising for airlines

I was doing some research online about sexism in advertising and I came across an advertising blog with an entire category dedicated to airline ads.

From the Ryanair charity calendar (with pictures of flight attendants wearing less than their uniforms) to advertising in airport security bins there is some fairly interesting stuff for those of you interested in advertisements.

This reminds me of two previous blog entries - here I seem to have lost my image of advertising inside planes. Maybe I can recover it. And of course some airlines are famous for hiring only the most attractive female flight attendants.

Best time of year to visit central Europe

One of the most often asked questions by tourists to tour guides like myself is the simple question of what time of year is the best time to visit. Depending on when this comes up in the tour, my answer can vary (as in how much time I have to answer, on walking tours you don’t necessarily have time to answer things in detail). I’m a tour guide of Germany and Austria with several years of experience monitoring ideal conditions for tourists.

The simple answer would be either early September or the middle of October. If neither of those works out, then spring would be the next best choice, with hesitation.

The main things people are worried about are the weather, crowds, and museum opening hours.

I think it's fairly common sense that late spring or early fall would have the ideal weather for the average tourist. In southern Germany and Austria, the highest amount of rainfall is during the middle of the summer, so June, July and August are rather wet. Most of the time between November and April it hovers around freezing, making it not very pleasant for wandering around new cities.

As far as crowds are concerned, those are also very much predictable. I would try to avoid spring break periods, and since different schools have them at different times, it’s difficult to guess and so from February until late April, there could be peak season crowds because of spring breakers, depending on your luck. May, June, July, and August are the busiest times, as well as the most expensive times to visit the region. One last thought on crowds is that since I live in Munich, crowds heading to and from the Oktoberfest make everything in the general region extremely busy as well.

A little tip to go along with that Oktoberfest comment: the crowds leave Munich nearly over night, which means if you come the week after Oktoberfest ends, Munich is empty. (Also, note that the Oktoberfest is at the end of September, and ENDS the first weekend in October)

Museum opening hours are of course the best during the peak times, but it is a little more general than that. April through September has the best opening hours for museums. Going along with that, fountains are covered by what I like to refer to as “large wooden huts”, which greatly diminishes the beauty of many of the cities in the region, from November until April.

In summary, the absolute best time to visit central Europe, based on weather, crowds, and opening hours, is early September. The next best in my opinion would be October, followed by late spring.

Mike Richardson - the professional tourist

Gas rebates from hotels and extra charges from airlines

This article on vacation deals has an interesting theme - rebates or "gas credits" hotels are offering because they think the price of gas will deter travelers from taking road trips. A good number of hotels seem to be offering rebates between $25 and $100.

And for those of us who want to save money, this article talks about how hard it is to save money when you're flying these days. One paragraph reminded me of an old Mancunian article:

So you think you can fly to Chicago for just $359 round-trip? Not if you’re flying on a holiday weekend. Not if you want to leave at 8 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. Not if you want to fly nonstop. Not if you want an aisle seat or a window seat, on some airlines. Not if you want extra legroom or an exit seat, on other airlines. Not if you want an in-flight meal, a movie player or even a blanket or a pillow.

I've been on flights where there were no pillows (American Airlines, Spirit) but never where you pay for pillows...

Speaking of airlines, I posted a long time ago about q-ups - supposedly a cheap way to fly first class. It sounds good in theory, but has anyone here made it work?

Will the economy hurt the travel industry much?

This article asks if the travel business is recession proof, but I don't think it is. Obviously the industry can not die entirely, but it seems to me that people are cutting back on travel. Or at least they think they should be.

So while taking a vacation is certainly a priority (especially for us since we spend quite a bit of time on travel blogs!), people who have less money will spend less on travel. So whoever said "All the evidence going back to 1990 shows that holidays are one of the last things consumers cut back on. Things have got to get really bad for that to happen," has to realize that for many people and many economies things are worse now than they have been since 1990. I'm no economic historian, but besides the internet bubble we haven't faced too many recessions in the last 15 years, have we?

I don't think that means trouble for everyone. For example Dubai depends on tourism money (though if that slows down you'd think oil money would be able to compensate) according to this article, but they try to attract fairly wealthy people who will still have money to travel. And that article seems to agree with me that the travel industry will suffer at least some:

For the next year or two, the travel industry is likely to find its long-standing customers in rich Western countries a less than reliable source of growth. As American families plan their holidays, many will be worrying about the frailty of their country's economy, the rising cost of petrol and—for those venturing outside the United States—the weakness of the dollar. They are delaying booking in the hope of nabbing cheap, last-minute deals.

They are also writing in to USA Today about how to find the best cruise deals. One of the things mentioned there made me think for a second about my own NCL cruise this summer. One person said that you can book a cruise during peak season and tell them you're willing to get bumped in hopes that they bump you and offer a free cruise in the future. I don't think I want to get bumped but a free cruise in the future would be nice...

Anyway, what do you think? Will the economy hurt the travel industry much?

Nakation info

The American Association for Nude Recreation defines a nakation as:

1. A clothes-free interlude from one's customary duties, as for recreation or rest; a holiday.
2. The part of your vacation you'll brag to friends about.

I almost went to a nude beach when I was in college, but I cancelled at the last minute because I was too nervous. Topless beaches never really bothered me but the idea of going to a nude beach really freaked me out and I haven't considered it since.

This slightly old New York Times article discusses a fellow who started taking clothing option vacations when he was around 67, a bartender who thinks minimalism is good for the environment (wonder if she bought carbon credits), and a woman who lost her inhibitions about being nude while on a nudist vacation.

The article mentions the Hidden Beach Resort - Mancunian wrote about that on this blog a while back. Then there's the Sea Mountain Inn (California), Mira Vista condos (Arizona), Occidental Grand Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). Then some popular hotels in Vegas have nude or topless pools: Caesar’s Palace and the Mirage in Las Vegas.

Of course, if all you need is a topless resort, I suppose most that welcome Europeans will be used to going topless at the pool / beach. Sirenis Punta Cana was certainly topless-friendly.

Responses to that article include information on gay nudist resorts and a complaint about Grand Lido Braco (Jamaica) where one woman was told to leave the beach if she didn't strip completely naked.

The article also said that naturalists have more nude vacation options than before:

The types of nude vacations have expanded too. Vacationers can now roll out a mat at all-nude yoga retreats, share banana bread with other guests at all-nude bed-and-breakfasts, gear up for nude mountain biking in California’s High Desert and saunter around the decks of cruise ships chartered specifically for clothing-free travel. In Germany, a travel operator has arranged for an all-nude charter flight this summer to take customers to a clothing-optional retreat in the Baltics. The naturists will take off and land fully clothed, but shed their clothes once airborne. (Flight attendants and crew will, however, keep their uniforms on.)

I understand nude yoga but not nude mountain biking...

This article talks about how nude recreation might help Arizona's economy. It's clear that travel companies see money to be made with the new nude flights, cruises, mountain bike excursions, etc.

For those of you who like to travel solo, many nude resorts don't allow single men. I guess single women are less likely to be voyeurs because there was no mention about turning women away.

Connecticut's Quiet Corner Historical Weekend Itinerary: Revolutionary War

If you remember the postcard I showed you a while back for Connecticut's Quiet Corner, I promised you some travel itineraries. Here is the first:

Accommodations: Victoria Crossing B&B, Lebanon (tel. 860.642.6998) – Near historic Lebanon Green.

Fitch House B&B, Mansfield (www.fitchhouse.com; tel. 860-456-0922) Built in 1836 by master builder-architect Edwin Fitch.

Daniel Rust House B&B, Coventry (tel. 860-742-0032) Built in 1713 and operated as the Bird-in-Hand tavern.

Day 1: (Revolutionary War)

Lebanon Green, Lebanon (www.LebanonCTHistSoc.org) (www.ConnecticutSAR.org) – One mile long Town Green known for its association with the people and events of the American Revolution. Site of the Revolutionary War Office, Governor Jonathan Trumbull House, the William Williams House. Major stop along the Washington-Rochambeau Trail when George Washington’s troops along with French allies marched from RI to Yorktown ,VA where they captured Cornwall’s British troops.

Lunch: Uncle D’s Log Cabin Restaurant, Lebanon (tel. 860.456.7663) – Menu includes “best ribs statewide” in a rural log cabin. Or, Scotland General Store, Scotland (tel. 860.450.1422) – Old-fashioned general store serving lunch.

Huntington Homestead, Scotland (www.huntingtonhomestead.org) – Birthplace of Samuel Huntington, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and distinguished statesman during the Revolutionary War and early Republic. Many original architectural features intact. National Historic Landmark.

If you have time, D’Elia Antique Tool Museum, Scotland (www.deliatoolmuseum.com) – Over 1,000 hand woodworking planes from 1750-1790.

Dinner: Altnaveigh Inn & Restaurant, Storrs (www.altnaveighinn.com) – Country charm, elegant dining in a restored 1734 home.

Day 2: (Characters)

Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry – Site of Nathan Hale’s family home since 1740, though the existing house was completed in 1776, one year after the execution if CT’s hero who famously declared, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” In the beautiful surrounding Nathan Hale State Forest, (tel. 1.866.287.2757) hiking is encouraged, but there are no formal trails marked.

Strong-Porter House Museum, Coventry (tel. 860.742.1419) – 1730 farmhouse of Nathan Hale’s maternal ancestors. Includes carpenter’s shop and barn with exhibits.

Brick School House, Coventry (tel. 860-742-7474, only open Sunday, in-season.

Lunch: Bea’s Country Kitchen, Coventry (tel. 860-742-7255)

Kathy-John’s, Mansfield (860-429-0362)

Cozy Corner Restaurant, Brooklyn (tel. 860.774.2629), a local’s favorite!

Gurleyville Grist Mill, Mansfield (tel. 860-429-9023, only open Sunday, in-season) Offers a unique look at rural 19th-century gristmill technology and the only one of its kind in Connecticut.

Putnam Elms, Brooklyn (www.putnamelms.org) – Circa 1784 historical home of Col. Daniel Putnam and descendants. 200+ years of American history.

Visit www.mysticcountry.com for more ideas or detail on any of the above locations.

Help Chris choose a good spot to snorkel

I recently received a very kind email from Chris so I hope we have some good ideas for him:

I love your blog. Very great to hear your travel experiences and it is very valuable to hear other readers' comments. Maybe you can share some more of that knowledge. I'm trying to find the perfect place to go snorkeling in mid-June. We don't want to scuba, but we thought it would be nice to fine a place that we can relax at and snorkel for 3-5 days. We were looking at places from Cozumel, St Lucia, St Croix, or Belize. Do you have any suggestions or thoughts?

Cheers,
Chris

If you can help, please leave a comment.

Movie tourism with an Indiana Jones theme

It may be dorky, but I am a big Indiana Jones fan. I still use the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark to work with my ESL students on active and passive voice (they describe what Indy does and what happens to him).

So anyway, this Kayak blog on Indiana Jones movie tourism obviously caught my attention. They mention some destinations Indiana Jones fans might appreciate a little bit extra:

Egypt - day trips from Cairo, the Egyptian museum, and ruins.

Jordan - the ‘Canyon of the Crescent Moon,’ the purported resting place of the Holy Grail was set in Petra (which hopefully some readers will remember).

Sri Lanka - apparently Temple of Doom was set in India but filmed here.

Nepal - great for trekking (we have a few blog entries about Nepal - I think this is the oldest).

Parents get a break on Disney cruise

Since I wrote about Disney a day or so ago, I will follow up this Disney post with something a little different. But first I give this article on how a Disney cruise is one of the best vacations for parents with children because Disney keeps the kids busy and lets parents escape for a bit.

How are travel agents doing in the internet age?

This article talks about something that has become kind of a recurring theme on this blog - the role of travel agents. Here, they argue that travel agents are more relevant than ever and that the internet has helped travel agents by allowing them to work from home (although they do acknowledge that some agencies have gone out of business due to the internet).

So, if it’s not airline bookings, what’s generating sales in this market? According to the experts, a shift into niche and specialty markets has proved very profitable for travel agents. There are certain kinds of travel excursions that people aren’t going to plan without consulting someone with experience, said Mike Pina, director of public relations at AAA. Some of these specialty travel areas include adoption travel, health travel, volunteer travel and grandparent travel -- all of which require detailed itinerary planning and instruction, he said.

Now if grandparent travel just means traveling with grandparents I don't see why you need any special instruction. I went on a cruise with my grandparents years ago and it was pretty much the same as going on a cruise without them in terms of planning. I suppose if it were climbing a mountain or something you would need to be extra careful...

Anyway, not too long ago we had an example of a successful travel agent. And as many of you know I found that I needed one to figure out how to use my travel rewards from NCL (turns out they gave me the upgrade without charging me any points so I still have lots of points left).

Still I wonder if kids in high school and college now or adults looking for a new career should consider becoming a travel agent considering the challenges and change facing the industry. What do you think?

Disney meal plan and restaurant recommendations

My parents, my wife. and I may be going to Disney this winter as we have some close friends who are crazy about Disney and live in the park (or very close to it - not exactly sure). Anyway, I'm considering the meal plan where you eat at the park restaurants so thought I'd collect some information. Here are a few personal recommendations from people I know:

Epcot Canada = good steak and beer. Mexico is also good. Do not do too many buffets because you will be sick of it by then end of the week.

Liberty Tree Tavern = Buffet with family style turkey, beef and ham, potatoes and greens, plus characters for the kids.

At MGM-Disney Studios, the Sci-fi Diner is a hoot. You sit in tables which resemble cars at a drive-in movie. You watch old 50's Sci-fi movie trailers while you eat. The food is not so great though.

San Angel Inn in Epcot's Mexico Pavilion is a good one. Eat there for dinner and then go outside and watch the fireworks.

Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot = you sit in a room where one entire wall is made of glass and you watch fish of all kinds swim by. Sharks, sea turtles, you name it. Food is very good too. Must have a reservation though.

The Flying Fish at the Boardwalk = the oak grilled New York strip was out of this world.

If you want to take a second mortgage out you can try Victoria and Albert's in the Grand Floridian.

The Contemporary Grill was very good as well make sure you are there for the fireworks display from the roof, it is great.

Maya's Grill in the Coronado Springs hotel = great steaks, one of the best buys when using the dining plan.

The Plaza Restaurant between Main Street and Tomorrowland = best kept secret in Disney world. A few bucks more expensive than fast food, but excellent. The strawberry/pear salad (depending on season) is great, along with the grilled chicken sandwich - nothing fancy, just excellent food.

Boma is terrific and located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Best buffet I have ever been too. The chef there is excellent.

The buffet at The Cape May Cafe located in the Beach Club is also very good if you like seafood.

I don't know if I'll be there long enough to try them all! Anyway, I'm told that the Disney meal plan is good for one snack (Soda, popcorn ice cream up to $4.00), one counter meal (pizza, burger, chicken fingers-lunch), and one sit down dinner at almost any Disney restaurant, per person, per day. There are a handful of high end restaurants that aren't covered, but you can trade two regular dinners for one of those dinners if you want. But please don't quote me on that - check the Disney site for details like I will before I make reservations.

Fact or fiction: hotel key cards put you at risk for identity theft?

So someone I know too well to stop accepting email from forwarded this to me:

HOTEL KEY CARDS

Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?

Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.

But until the ca rd is rewri tten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially thr ough the electronic information strip!

If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Information courtesy of: Pasadena Police Department

I did a little research, and according to the Pasadena police department, "it would appear that no hotels engage in the practice of storing personal information on key cards."

So don't bother bringing little magnets or scissors with you to destroy hotel key cards. And remember not to believe every email someone forwards you...

Sequoia National Park's inspiring travel pictures

I have a picture of the Lone Cypress from a while ago, and today I was at an outdoor wedding thinking about doing something related to seeing nature for my blog today...

So let's talk about a place I've never been but one that is certainly on my list: Sequoia National Park. Apparently 5 of the world's 10 largest trees are in Sequoia national Park. There's the General Sherman, the Robert E. Lee, and here is the Sentinel:

Book on travel writing by Lonely Planet Brazil author

Former Lonely Planet writer, Thomas Kohnstamm, has a book out called Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? He apparently (I haven't read the book - I only just heard about it) argues that travel writers (himself included) fabricate work, accept freebies they're not supposed to. He uses himself as an example - he worked on Lonely Planet Brazil.

Spokesperson for the Associated Board of Travel Agents (Abta), Sean Tipton, defends guide books: "I think they have been a great help and a boon to the travel industry and travelers in general.

"Of course, mistakes will creep [in] - the very nature of any publication means that it
can become out-of-date very quickly, things can change."

As I said, I haven't read the book. But I do have experience with guidebooks and while sometimes they are very helpful (my wife and I found our favorite restaurants of all time - Il Duomo in Assisi and Pizza Re in Rome with help from Let's Go and Lonely Planet respectively), there are other times when we wasted all kinds of time searching for a restaurant that we couldn't find.

I remember one of those guides recommended a cheap hotel in Assisi. They said something about the woman who owns it being one of the nicest people in the world. We get to Assisi, check in, no drama, decide we like the town and want to stay longer. So we ask the person there (the owner's father it turns out) if we can stay another night. He sends us to another room and we think everything's good.

We come back to the hotel and the owner starts yelling at us to get out of her hotel because the room we're in is booked. I asked her why I was getting yelled at when the hotel is one that messed up. Turns out the nicest person in the world was a real jerk. I wonder if the author had accepted a free room or was somehow bribed into making that stupid claim...

Anyway, can anyone review this book for us?

Carbon offsets

This article talks about how relatively few Australians buy carbon credits to offset pollution from flying. I know I consider myself environmentally conscious, but I've never bought a carbon credit. Have you?

Not quite back to normal yet

As I take breaks in my final push to finish correcting midterms, I come across articles that I present to you somewhat haphazardly:

An uplifting story about a volunteer program where people give wounded armed forces veterans access to their vacation homes.

Here we have a few book reviews including one travel book: “Home on the Road” (Syren Book Co., 5120 Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis, MN 55416, $14.95 paper) by Catherine Watson. Apparently if you don't vollow a link from Google news you have to register - I really hate that so let me give you the important bit:

I well remember Watson’s wonderful story about riding the Siberian railway years ago, being tailed by a Russian agent and drinking milk laced with formaldehyde. In her new book she describes a day in the small city of Suzdal in the most poetic of terms. Great!

I advise you to travel with Watson in this book to far-off places like Newfoundland, Tibet, Biminia and The Falkland Island and, yes, even Minnesota. If you missed her earlier book “Roads Less Traveled” published in 2005, it’s still available from Syren Book Co.

Then we have an article on how the cruise business is making Seattle one of America's busies ports but the ships brings environmental problems.

Dhani Jones on the Travel Channel: Dhani tackles the Globe

American football player Dhani Jones is filming for the Travel Channel. Apparently he plays with professional sports teams and the show, Dhani Tackles the Globe, focuses on sports that are not popular in America.

This article explains how he'll try to learn hurley, a sport I've never heard of.

I was able to find this clip of him playing rugby, but I don't think it's from the Travel Channel show:

So I guess we have to wait for this new series to come out to see if our complaints about the Travel Channel (and here are some more) have been addressed. Other new series include "Bizarre Worlds," starring "Bizarre Foods" host Andrew Zimmern and "Cruise Season" for a look at cruise ships and port destinations around the world.

Still waiting for someone over there to notice my brilliant idea and make something happen.

Do you have to travel on vacation?

This is an interesting article with some activities for a vacation at home. From building a computer to building a robot while teaching your kids (or yourself I guess) how to solder...

I guess this vacation at home will be a reality for many - according to this article, 80% of New Yorkers are cutting back on vacation because of gas prices. Not all are staying home obviously, but I'm sure some are.

Maybe the opposite of a vacation at home would be working from your RV for 2-3 years and driving all over America. Sounds awesome except for the gas...

School got it right for this woman

The woman featured in this story got something unusual - good advice in high school about a future career: "I always wanted to travel and the careers adviser at school suggested I become a travel agent - since then it's been in my blood."

When I was in high school we had guidance counselors instead of careers advisers. After looking over the results of a motivation / aptitude / interest test, my guidance counselor and I talked about my future career.

Linguist didn't come up. Neither did travel blogger. I remember something about park rangers and lumber jacks. I guess I answered that I like nature and didn't want to sit at a desk all day.

I never did consider lumberjack but I did look into the park ranger thing. In the end I couldn't major in law enforcement because some of the cops in my town were horrible people and I resented law enforcement for a while (now many of my closest friends are cops and I'm no longer a long-haired teen guy so cops pretty much leave me alone I guess).

Anyway, she says that as a travel agent she gets to take about 4 trips a year. I bet she gets some good deals or freebies (even I got one from Royal Caribbean) whereas if I want 4 trips a year I can probably find the time but also need to find the money...

What do you say travel agents? Do you recommend your industry to high school and college students pondering their future career paths?

Reader needs 5 day Disney travel plan - ideas?

So first the question and then my answer. Then you can leave some advice.

Going down to Disney for 4 or 5 days with the family - any suggestions on ticket packages, etc.? We want to do the main parks, Seaworld, Universal, etc., but want to be efficient about it. I don't need lodging suggestions (already set up).Two kids (9 and 11) and their mom. We have the weekend and Mon - Wed. I don't need to do it all, just want to hit the "must see" stuff that's the best for their ages.

Now I have a little Disney vacation plan of my own but I haven’t been there in 10 years or so – if anyone has suggestions please comment!

Day 1: When you land there, hit Universal's Islands of Adventure for day one.

Day 2: You'll need a full day at Magic Kingdom. It's a huge park with rides/events for everyone in the family.

Day 3: Use day three as a time to relax, you don't want to get burnt out by 5 straight days in the theme parks. Maybe spend this day at Universal's Citywalk or Downtown Disney to hit their shopping districts. If you want to do a park, visit a water park on this 3rd day.

Day 4: Seaworld is cool to visit on the 4th day. You can spend a lot of time here.

Day 5: You can wrap up your 5th and final day at Disney's Animal Kingdom before you head out. That park only needs 6-7 hours and you'll be able to see all the main attractions.

Parks not on this itinerary: Epcot and Disney Studios. Epcot is large and usually takes 2 days to visit. I don’t know which two days you’d take away from my plan in order to fit in Epcot. Disney Studios isn't that large but outside of a few rides, isn't worth visiting on a short trip like this. The parks I chose should have plenty of rides anyway.

Good Luck!

Smithsonian magazine recommends American vacation spots

I thought this press release would interest some. I could pass on the frog festival but the Chicago Blues fest and some of the other ideas here seem like great vacations:

New York, New York (April 28, 2008) – The May 2008 issue of Smithsonian uncovers the most notable places to explore in North America. “Destination America” reveals five of the most distinguished destinations inside the US including an ancient homeland in Acoma, New Mexico and an underwater odyssey in Silver Springs, Florida. “Destination America” joins “Destination Asia,” in the March 2008 issue, as part of Smithsonian’s commitment to bringing its readership the inside scoop on the most awe-inspiring locations around the globe.

“‘Destination America’ proves that you don’t need to scour the world to find exotic and inspiring destinations,” said Smithsonian Editor Carey Winfrey. “Some of the most beautiful places this world has to offer are right here in our own backyard. The May 2008 issue offers the perfect opportunity for American’s to begin researching for summer vacation destinations close to home.”

“Destination America” includes:

“Acadia Country” (pg. 46) - Harbor islands, placid lakes, deep forests: in Maine, a beloved stretch of coast exerts it piney allure

“Ancient Citadel” (pg. 56) - A native homeland for thousands of years, Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico is now the site of an unusual cultural center

“The Life Aquatic with Bruce Mozert” (pg. 62) - For 40 years, the photographer’s inspired underwater tableaux drew tourists to the crystalline waters of Silver Springs, Florida

“Back to the Frontier” (pg. 66) - Where can you tan a hide and play vintage baseball? At the Conner Prairie living-history museum in Indiana

“End of the Road” (pg. 70) - Winding from Tennessee to Mississippi, the Natches Trace, aka the “Devil’s Backbone” thanks to its bloody history, is a hike (or stroll) to remember

“Destination America” also includes an all-inclusive list of other hotspots and highlights around the nation:

The Chicago Blues Festival that showcases such greats as guitarist B.B. King and singer Koko Taylor

North American Indian Days, a celebration in Browning, Montana that includes Native American drumming and dance competitions

The California Rodeo in Salinas, California where nearly 1,000 contestants test their skills in challenges that include calf roping, steer wrestling and bareback riding

The Frog Festival in Rayne, Louisiana offers an old fashioned frog racing and jumping contest

The Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis, Minnesota where 350 artists set up a street market to peddle crafts from painting to glass sculpture and jewelry

About Smithsonian

Founded in 1970 with the launch of Smithsonian magazine, Smithsonian Media—comprising Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian and the Smithsonian digital network—allows the intellectually curious to indulge and engage their passions for history, the arts, science, the natural world, culture and travel. Smithsonian Media’s flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, has a circulation of more than two million. This multimedia network is also affiliated with the world’s most visited museum and research complexes at the Smithsonian Institution. For more information, visit www.smithsonian.com