Travel plan idea blog

Hotel rooms for $1, Immigration story, Sandals, Texas vacation ideas

I'll start with something nice and safe: hotel rooms for a dollar.

Bed for a Buck. The Alexander Inn in Philadelphia is offering five hotel rooms a night for $1 as part of its Guest Stimulus Plan, through June 11. The hotel hopes you'll reserve a room Sunday through Thursday for a dollar and spend what you save in lodging at Philly's restaurants, shops and museums. Call to book your $1 room at 8 a.m. EST 30 days prior to your arrival. The limit is one night at $1 per guest. 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia; 215-923-3535 or 877-253-9466

Foolishly Good Deal. San Francisco's two LEED-certified Orchard Hotels are offering rooms for a dollar starting April Fool's Day, for the entire month. You won't find this offer mentioned on the hotels' website, but if you hit the site at 10 a.m. on April 1 and type in the promotional code "Fool!" you can score one of the two $1 rooms offered each night in April. Once the 60 allotted rooms are sold out, the offer will be closed. Additional nights begin at $159. 466 Bush Street (Orchard Garden Hotel) or 665 Bush Street (Orchard Hotel); 888-717-2881

Every once in a while I flirt with a political issue and hop the comments don't get out of hand. Today is one of those days. This article is the culprit - a same sex couple finds one partner being deported. Obviously that's going to be rough on a couple that has been together for 23 years but it's extra hard because they have kids. The problem, of course, is that since their marriage is not recognized by the federal government the American can not sponsor the foreigner for a green card. Having gone through the green card process for my Korean wife, I can certainly sympathize with the couple.

Here's an article on Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa. No surprise to hear that if you're in a suite with 2 butlers you get pretty good service.

Here we have some vacation ideas in Texas. San Antonio sounds pretty good:

The Alamo City's biggest annual party is Fiesta, April 16-26. Among the 108 events are the Fiesta Mariachi Mass, April 19; River Parade, April 20; and the magnificent Battle of Flowers Parade, April 24. On May 30, the River Walk expands from its historic three-mile length an additional 10 miles. The $279 million improvement takes you from downtown's shopping, dining and hotel zone to a variety of museums and galleries, as well as the restored Pearl Brewery complex.

Inside the old brewery building is the newest campus of the renowned Culinary Institute of America, where foodies can take part in an intensive program called "A Taste of Mexico: Flavors of Puebla and Oaxaca," offered May 27-29.

Continental sued over Mileage Program? / April in Paris / Unclaimed Baggage Center

USA Today reports that a frequent flyer with Continental Airlines is suing the airline over its frequent flyer program. The lawsuit maintains that the airline told him he would have to use 50,000 miles instead of 25,000, and also charged $75 to get the mileage ticket at the last minute - in this case, with less than three weeks notice. I have some sympathy for the passenger, but unfortunately most of the airlines do have these rules explained in small print on their web site, so I don't expect he is going to be very successful.

This blog has commented before on the increase in fees and extra charges that seem to be added on by the airlines, often for things which most of us have long taken for granted. I think that if you have a lot of airline miles - and some people have millions of them - you should use the option of more miles to secure a seat; most airlines offer double mileage awards which are not capacity controlled. As in the above mentioned lawsuit, there was a seat available - but only if you had the extra miles. There is also usually no charge to change a reservation booked with extra miles. This site has a lot of other tips and advice.

April is a good time to be in Paris (according to the song) or anywhere else in Europe - weather not too cold, not too many crowds and airfares that aren't too high. USA Today also lists these ten bargain European travel deals for April. And if you are lucky enough to be heading across the Atlantic, this site has details of European fairs and festivals - everything from the drag queen Olympics and a scarecrow festival to Europe's biggest kite festival.

I may not be going to Paris any time soon but I am quite excited as at last I am going to visit the famous Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. My family and I are visiting relatives in the area next week and having written about the UBC before, I can't resist visiting it. Perhaps the book I left on the plane 25 years ago will be there...?

Guest entry by Mancunian

Sofitel deal & going green

Sofitel is offering a Seasonal Diversion package:

Travelers looking for accommodations with touches of French luxury, but without the anticipated price tag, will love Sofitel's value-added offering at desirable destinations around the globe.

Now through May 25, 2009, Sofitel Luxury Hotels in locations such as London, Paris, New York, Rio, Sydney, Shanghai and more welcome guests with the following enticing offer:

- Four night's accommodations for the price of three
- Luxury accommodations for a comfortable sojourn
- A gift of delicious chocolates for sweet indulgence
- A late check-out for a leisurely departure

Sofitel's Seasonal Diversion offer can be found at properties worldwide including:
Paris: starting rate; USD$271 / Night
Marseille: starting rate; USD$182 / Night
Roma: starting rate; USD$236 / Night
New York: starting rate; USD$262 / Night
Marrakech: starting rate; USD$200 / Night
Washington, DC: starting rate; USD$187 / Night
London: starting rate; USD$120 / Night
Sydney: starting rate; USD$146 / Night
Montreal: starting rate; USD$124 / Night
Los Angeles: starting rate; USD$242 / Night
Beijing: starting rate; USD$157 / Night
Chicago Water Tower: starting rate; USD$162 / Night

Is anyone as surprised as I am to see that London is the cheapest hotel on that list?

Also, the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower is now one of 13 Green Seal Certificates in Chicago (out of the U.S.'s 39 green properties). I don't know a ton about Green Seal Certificates but that seems pretty exclusive to me.

With the receipt of a Green Seal Certificate, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower continues to solidify its status as a national environmental leader and has helped Chicago establish itself as the city with the most Green Seal Certificates in the United States.

The non-profit environmental organization Green Seal awarded Sofitel Chicago Water Tower a Bronze Award for meeting its strict requirements in waste minimization, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste water management and green procurement.

Don't forget that in Chicago you can experience the city the Obama's enjoy.

7 Day European Vacation: London, Munich, Ingolstadt & Regensburg

A travel plan from Jamie. This is the first he's published on travel-plan-idea.com but hopefully not the last.

Seeing that I haven't had a proper vacation in quite a while, I decided to take advantage of the low fares to Europe that many airlines are offering ($500 - $700 round trip!) and immerse myself in some culture. The original plan was to pack as light as possible, with one carry on bag. To prepare for the trip, I ordered a new bag, specifically, the Eagle Creek Exploration Systems Tarmac Large Flight Bag. Seeing the words "large flight bag" I thought it would have been larger.

Needless to say, I think traveling for a week with one bag might have been a bit overambitious, but I think I can manage with the duffle and one brief case or messenger bag. Briefcases are perfect for storing those in-flight essentials - books, magazines, snacks, iPod, neck pillow, etc. They also can be easily-stowed under the seat in front of me.

So, back to planning this trip. Since I only have an allotted number of vacation days, I can't take a leisurely 3-week trip so I have to pack as much in to a week as I can. Going to London was a given, as I have a friend living there. Now, Germany was more of an after-thought. Turns out, I do have a friend living in Ingolstadt, which is about an hour outside of Munich and I got a $75 flight out of London. Here's my tentative travel itinerary.

Day 1-2 (April 23):

Arrive in London at 6:45 AM. Jump on the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station (£16.50 one way, which is about $25). I'll probably wander about the city for a while before heading over to my friends flat. I'm bringing a cell phone that I can use internationally. For my carrier, Sprint, it's going to cost me about $1.29 per minute, so I'll definitely be using this phone only for emergencies. I did learn that Sprint rents a couple of its international phones for about $40 a week. Not bad!

Once I figure out where to meet my friend, I'll jump on the tube, picking up a 3-day travel card for about $26. Once I get situated at my friends flat, we'll probably make it a low key evening with some drinks and dinner at a local pub.

Day 3 (April 24):

Assuming my friend can get off from work, the plan is to do some touristy things. Perhaps we'll hit up the Tate Modern Museum, do a London sightseeing tour on one of those double decker busses ($30), take in some views of the city in the London Eye Ferris wheel ($23) and maybe check out Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to see what's playing. The plan is to meet up with some friends that evening for drinks and karaoke.

Day 4 (April 25):

Shopping is a must in London, and while it's pricey, my trip to London wouldn't be complete without a Piccadilly Circus excursion. I'm going to stay away from the touristy gift shops and focus my attention on the quaint little boutiques and some of the bigger UK department stores. If the weather is nice, I'd like to spend the afternoon walking around St. James Park, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Tower Of London. That evening we might catch a show in the West End or just hit up another local pub.

Day 5 (April 26):

Flying out of London at 9:30 in the morning, arriving in Munich at around noon. My friend will hopefully meet me at the airport, after which we'll walk around Munich and maybe hit up a beer garden for lunch and refreshments. Maybe we'll stop by the Hofbräuhaus Brewery, which is always a good time. Later in the afternoon, my friend and I will board a train into Ingolstadt for between $25 - $30 one way.

Day 6 (April 27):

I'll be spending much of the day walking around Ingolstadt, a smallish city located along the Danube River in the center of Bavaria. About an hour outside of Munich by train, Ingolstadt is the birthplace of the fictional Frankenstein monster, as mentioned in Mary Shelley's novel. Another bit of history...the secret society known as the Illuminati was founded in Ingolstadt in the late 18th century. The Illuminati play a prominent role in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code prequel, Angels & Demons, which is currently being made into a movie. Car manufacturer, Audi also has its headquarters located in Ingolstadt.
My friend mentioned wanting to visit Regensburg, also in Bavaria at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers. The first settlements in Regensburg date all the way back to the Stone Age and at one point, the city served as the German capital as well as the cultural center of Southern Germany. I've only ever been to Munich before, so visiting these two small towns will definitely be interesting and exciting.

Day 7 April 28

Unfortunately, most of my last day will be spent traveling. While I'm flying out of Munich, I have a 7 hour layover in London. Oh well. Another chance for me to get out into the city. This is going to be one fun trip. I can hardly wait!

Disney travel advice needed

Question: I'm planning on heading down to Orlando sometime in late-September/early-October for about five days and plan on focusing the major portion of the trip on the Disney parks. I haven't been in nearly 15 years and, last time I did go, I was getting carted around with my parents. I've punched up a few websites and have found the discrepancy in prices quite alarming, as I can get a full trip at a Disney hotel for a large chunk of change, a stay at a top-tier hotel located in Downtown Disney for quite a bit less or go to a hotel further offsite for significantly less than both. I'd like to make the trip without having to rent a car, as most places advertise the fact they have shuttle services to and from the park and even Orlando International.

That said, I was wondering if any has had any recent experience with a trip to Disney World and can provide any feedback to their experience or overall suggestions. I'd like to make this as cost-effective as possible, but also don't want to deal with the headaches of getting stranded at certain places and unable to get to where I want to go (which is likely only Disney, as I have no real interest in going to anywhere else in Orlando). No children involved, only myself and my fiance and was wondering if anyone could provide information as to where to stay and whether we'll need that car or not.

Thanks in advance.

First, I'll point out a few older entries:

Disney meal plan and restaurants
5 day Disney travel plan advice
Disney honeymoon discussion
Disney & Universal
Port Orleans or Caribbean Beach?
Disney resort experiences & suggestions

And now a few comments I've collected:

Comment #1: Was down there about a month ago. We stayed at the Caribe Royale which is around 10 minutes from the Disney parks. We had a 2 bedroom villa and it was great. They also have 1 bedroom villas as well as the regular hotel & suite buildings. Our stay included the daily breakfast buffet whch was very good. Park tickets were available through the hotel as they have a desk in the lobby to purchase them. We did tickets for the 4 Disney parks(Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Studios & Animal Kingdom) as well as Universal (w/Isles of Adventure) & Sea World. We got the park hopper options which were great but we couldn't take as much advantage as we wanted due to weather(we kept dodging thunderstorms). We lost somewhere between a day & a day and a half due to the storms. We drove ourselves everywhere but like most if not all places down there they had shuttles to all the parks. As for the cost I wish I had good info for you but I joined into my friend's vacation so they handled the reservations and bills with me just paying towards everything to cover myself.

Comment #2: Staying on Disney property is ideal for convenience, but not as important if you don't have kids. Late Sept. is a good time to go; since the kids are in school the parks are less busy and hotel rates are lower. There are 2 major upsides to staying on Disney property. First, you get to use Disney trasportation to get to/from your hotel, which will be faster and most convenient. And second you get to take advantage of early park openings and late closings; this lets you tour the parks with low crowds.

Check out Mousesavers.com. They have all the latest discount information for Disney hotels and for other hotels nearby. Also buy the "Unoffical Guide to DisneyWorld". That book is the bible - has great info on choosing hotels and getting good deals. And once your booked, great info on how to best tour the parks to avoid crowds.

Comment 3: We Stayed at the Beach Club at Magic Kingdom...it was great, and we enjoyed the extra hours at the parks, being 25 feet from the golf course, terrific access to the parks, the pools, service, etc but not sure it was worth the extra money.

It was a family trip with 30 of us too...oy vey!

Comment 4: Even though its the most expensive you would never be disappointed at one of the Deluxe Resorts (Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary). They have monorail service to the parks so travel is extremely easy and the resorts are great.

Comment 5: Disney - vs - Universal. It depends on what you are looking for & the age of those doing it. I loved Islands of Adventure for the big rides...and love Kraken at Sea World but I also don't regret a minute spent at the Disney parks. The Disney parks have alot of great 3D rides/shows & are really fun places to be.

One big tip...while down there consider it a MUST DO to see the Fantasmic show at Disney Hollywood Studios. It's a nightly show that combines live action, great water effects(including movies projected on the water, some pyro & music. It's a great show. We got rained out the 1st night we went to see it & went back the next night to watch it. Children & Adults love the show. Just be sure to get in the amphitheater early as the seats fill fast.

Comment 6: My wife and I have been to Disney every year for a while now (also no children). Make sure that you buy a 5 day park hopper...you can go to whatever parks you want each day (i.e., hop parks). If you're going in a warm month (which most are), take a day off and go to either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. Disney's waterparks are A LOT of fun.

We usually drive there, or rent a car. The one time we didn't rent a car we had a bad experience. It's true that everyone offers free transportation, but it's a major pain b/c you end up waiting a lot (which is a waste of time/money) and you end up planning your days around some courtesy transportation. Renting a car in the Orlando area isn't that bad b/c there's so many of them. Staying in Disney is great, but it really is WAY over-hyped, -rated, -expensive. The Downtown Disney hotels are in a good location, but I think that they're almost as expensive as some of the lower Disney hotels. The Hilton in DD gives you the extra magic hours (which is the only non-Disney hotel to do so). Also, look into time-share condo reservations...sometimes you can get great deals and all you have to do is sit through some mindless pitch.

Here are some tips/suggestions:
- in the Magic Kingdom, the Tommorrowland Noodle Station and the Columbia Harbor House(by Haunted Mansion - excellent Clam Chowder) have excellent food for cheap.
- In Animal Kingdom, go to Everest immediately and get a fast pass, then ride it again. Get first row...it's fun.
- In Hollywood Studios, do the same with Toy Story Mania.
- In Epcot, do the same with Soarin.
- In Animal Kingdom, make sure you ride Primeval Whirl...it looks like a dinky little kids ride, but I think it's one of the most fun rides in Disney.
- When it's really hot (we go in July usually), we make sure that we're the first people in the park, and the last to leave. We take a 3-4 hour break back at our hotel to swim, shower, nap, whatever, and it makes the rest of the day 1000% better.

To do and not to do lists for Costa Rica

Here's a list of comments about Costa Rica from 5 or so people who have been there. None of the comments come from me (since I've never been there) but I am trying to get there this summer so I felt like doing a little research before designing a travel plan.

Things to do:

Raft on the Paquari.

Climb the base of Arenal.

Rainforest canopy tours, rafting, and kayaking in Manuel Antonio/Quepos area.
Visit the cloud forest (Monte Verde).

Book with a tour company the first time out to learn the lay of the land. After you've figured CR out then you will feel more confident about where you can go and where you can drive -- there's a lot of petty crime there now -- having a guide will allow you to relax and learn.

Visit the golf course at the Four Seasons in Costa Rica. AWESOME. One of the best golf courses I have ever seen and played. Just totally picturesque, manicured beautifully, and just so peaceful. If you don't mind spending the money, it is really worth every penny.

Things not to do:

Rent a car in San Jose, Costa Rica unless you like the sound of flesh hitting dashboards. We rented a mini-FWD SUV vehicle. The roads outside the cities are very bad, but do-able in the SUV. Avoid driving in San Jose itself, though, as it's typical of third world countries where traffic rules are more suggestion than rule.

Leave anything in your car, nothing that has even a little value (like a towel or hat even). Theft is a HUGE issue for tourists. Nearly everyone I know who has gone down there (mostly to surf) has a story about something getting stolen from them. My last trip was pretty good, I only had a towel & sunglasses stolen.
S

$99 sale going on at bookit.com

Bookit.com is having a pretty goo sale right now until 11:59 PM EDT on Friday, March 27 or while inventory lasts. Travel dates vary by resort, but most are available through summer dates.

For example, the Majestic Colonial All-Inclusive Resort in Punta Cana is about 50% off at $99/night.

Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort and Spa is also $99/night (normally $298) for an oceanview room.

Vegas is looking good too, with Trump International going for as low as $62/night midweek.

Good price for Vegas?

I'm not exactly sure when they booked, but my parents used hotels.com to book round trip airfare from JFK to Vegas for 2 plus 4 nights at the Palazzo for $1385 total. This is supposed to include all taxes and fees. They travel in April.

Is it just me or is that pretty good?

Bad news

Sadly, the big news today is about planes crashing. 14 people died as a small plane crashed in a Montana cemetery. That article has a picture of the flames with gravestones in the foreground.

And on TV news I saw the disturbing footage of the FedEx crash in Narita. Apparently wind caused the plane to hit the runway extra hard and probably at the wrong angle / speed. The cargo included flammable liquid and that caused a fire pretty much immediately as the plane hit the runway.

Since the FedEx crash was on one of Narita's 2 main runways, there are lots of delays for people flying into and out of Tokyo. My wife is a tour guide in Seoul and her tour for tomorrow was canceled because the travelers are now stuck in Japan.

Euro currency map, Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro, & British Air

I liked this map of Europe. When you put your mouse over each country it tells what currency they use so if you're trying to avoid an expensive euro...

Here's an article on some of the choices, what they call the new riviera: "Along the booming coasts of Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro, Julia Chaplin finds glamour, barefoot chic, and stunning natural beauty."

British Air sent me this:

See more of your favorite cities.
Book your World Traveller (economy) flight today and we will give you two free* nights’ accommodations in your choice of these exciting destinations: London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague and Athens. Book your trip by March 13, 2009 and enjoy your two free nights between March 23 and September 2, 2009.

At least Prague doesn't use the euro...

How many people have access to your luggage?

When I read about the baggage handlers that stole stuff from people's luggage I thought about my own mysteriously missing clock motor. I guess no one in their right mind would steal a broken clock motor and 2 hands for a 20 year old clock but still, maybe I was too quick to blame TSA or the security people in Japan. Seems like a lot of people can can get to your luggage.

Rental advice, Hawaii deals, "free" travel, cruise ship comedian expereince

Here's an article on choosing a vacation rental. Since we talked about that for pet friendly stuff, the Outer Banks, and other places (like Hawaii rentals in the past) I figured this article was worth a link.

Speaking of Hawaii, these deals don't seem like true bargains and stay 4 nights, get the 5th night for $50 is far from free but I guess the recession doesn't make Hawaii that cheap...

Here's an article on going for really cheap vacations. Not quite free, but closer than any of those Hawaii deals.

One of the things they mention is traveling for free by becoming a travel agent or taking some other travel industry job. That brings me to this article, a very interesting one from a cruise ship comedian's perspective. He didn't actually seem to like being a cruise ship comedian but his story is interesting even though it's negative.

Basically it seems that the comedian wanted more VIP-type treatment than he got. At one point he complains that no one helped him find a hotel when a hurricane in Miami left him stranded in St. Thomas where the previous ship dropped him off. The poor guy had to find a hotel room all by himself.

And this story also talks about the not-quite special treatment:

A purser was supposed to escort guest entertainers down the gang plank, through customs and then through some secret door where I could get right back on the ship. Unless I latched onto one of the bigger entertainers on board that week, I was always sent down a wrong hallway, ending up outside and behind the three thousand people waiting to get on.

Sure I'd be angry if it happened to me, but I actually think it's pretty funny that the guy had to latch on to a "bigger" entertainer.

Advice needed for a family holiday with some nature and a Starwood Hotel

Reader submitted question: We are a family of 4 - a 13 year old daughter, 18 year old son. We only have 4-5 days, and we would love to go tubing down a river, easy hiking, easy mountain or trail biking. An area with nice, upscale/current restaurants available, and be able to use our free hotel points at Starwood Hotels.

We were thinking of Aspen, or Tahoe, or Oregon as possibilities, but was wondering if anyone could give us some ideas that would help us formulate some concrete plans off of these thoughts. It would be so great to find an outdoor concert or music festival for us as well.

We went to Pac. Northwest last year - Whistler, Vancouver, Seattle Snoqualmie Falls, and had a great time.

Thanks!!
Alyson

Travel picture of the day.

The following is a paid review.

This is an interesting one, because when they asked for the review they asked that I try out on of their free travel widgets. These are the sorts of things that bloggers and website owners might be into but that most readers won't find much use for.

I chose this picture of the day widget:

Having only seen one picture so far, writing a review is going to be pretty tough. Personally though I prefer pictures of places over people so I hope we end up seeing more destination-type pictures. I should clarify that pictures of a place and the people who live there are fine. But pictures that focus on the traveler are less interesting (unless I'm the traveler of course).

They also have a travel cost calculator but I can't see that working real well. We see so many individual differences like when I talked about spending on a cruise ship being absolutely necessary and one of the commenters saying you don't really have to spend anything to have a good time on the ship. It all depends on the person but I sure saw people who were not having fun because they were being cheap. I figured I'd already spent over 6 grand on the trip (yeah it was a big one) so I might as well go broke enjoying it.

Then they have a travel destination weather widget so you can quickly look up what the weather is like in Bologna in February for example. Then they tell you "39°, A Little Rain, Low Tourist Season".

Low tourist season is great. 39 is a little chilly if it's Fahrenheit. And it must be Fahrenheit although the widget doesn't say. A little rain doesn't really tell you much so while the widget might give you a quick overview, in most cases I guess you'll still want to do a little more research.

Time to visit Moscow?

$240 round trip from New York to Moscow? Sure sounds like a bargain. Of course there may be other fees, there may be a fuel surcharge, and naturally you'll pay some hefty taxes. But I would imagine it's still going to end up being a good deal.

United's one way fares based on round trip purchase:

New York City ... $119
Boston ... $164
Los Angeles ... $167
Washington, D.C. ... $171
Chicago ... $178
Los Angeles ... $167
Denver ... $197
Jacksonville ... $216
San Francisco ... $225

I will be busy teaching so one of you will have to take advantage of this sale and tell me how Moscow is. Book by March 26 and travel on Monday-Thursday, March 29-April 30. 30 day maximum stay.

One of my dreams is to see fireworks above Red Square because it looks so great on TV. From this video it doesn't even look too crowded:

Certainly looks better than the crowds we dealt with for a mediocre view in London.

Know of any repo cruises in July, August, January, or February

I don't have a lot for you today. I taught from 9-3 (I do half my classes on Tuesday) and then had to hang around the school for a staff dinner so I put in an extra long day. But what I do have is fairly interesting: an article on repo cruises.

The author is taking NCL from Miami to England. The article says they are cheap but that you have to have vacation time for them. I'm cheap and I have vacation time in summer and winter...

I wonder if there are any cruise ships repositioning in July, August, January, or February (the months I can go on vacation). The ones next month won't help me but maybe someone reading this can benefit:

Next month, Royal Caribbean has an eight-night cruise from Colón, Panama, to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with stops in Costa Rica, Colombia and Aruba. Cabins start at $50 a night per person. In September, Holland America will offer a sailing from Vancouver, Canada, to the Gulf of California. The 13-night trip concludes in San Diego, with cabins from about $85 a night per person. As Badgley notes, it's hard to find a hotel room for that price, let alone one with the meals included.

Aruba honeymoon - yay or nay?

Reader question: My fiance and I are getting married in October of this year, and we have been looking into honeymoon options. We are considering going to Aruba, at an all inclusive. We looked at a few options, including the Bucuti resort, Occidental, and a few others.

I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience/suggestions/recommendations, as neither of us have been there before. Any help would be awesome.

Airbus 340-600 ADAT crash rumor: hoax or actual news?

I got the email with the convincing pictures:

The brand spanking new Airbus 340-600, the largest passenger airplane ever built, sat in its hangar in Toulouse , France without a single hour of airtime. Enter the Arab flight crew of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) to conduct pre-delivery tests on the ground, such as engine run-ups, prior to delivery to Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi .

The ADAT crew taxied the A340-600 to the run-up area. Then they took all four engines to takeoff power with a virtually empty aircraft. Not having read the run-up manuals, they had no clue just how light an empty A340-600 really is.

The takeoff warning horn was blaring away in the cockpit because they had all 4 engines at full power. The aircraft computers thought they were trying to take off but the aircraft had not been configured properly (flaps/slats, etc.) Then one of the ADAT crew decided to pull the circuit breaker on the Ground Proximity Sensor to silence the alarm.

This fooled the aircraft into thinking it was in the air. The computers automatically released all the brakes and set the aircraft rocketing forward. The ADAT crew had no idea that this is a safety feature so that pilots can't land with the brakes on.

Not one member of the seven-man Arab crew was bright enough to throttle back the engines from their max power setting, so the $200 million brand-new aircraft crashed into a blast barrier, totaling it.

The extent of injuries to the crew is unknown for there has been a news blackout in the major media in France and elsewhere. Coverage of the story was deemed insulting to Muslim Arabs. Finally, the photos are starting to leak out.

But a Google news search for "Airbus 340-600 ADAT crash" turns up nothing. Is the internet really so powerful that we know about this incident before official news sources?

I had my doubts. I think what we have here is an example or racism - the email claims that the news is being suppressed because it is insulting to Muslims. That makes me think this is a hoax designed to insult Muslims.

A web search turned up this page on snopes.com. They claim that the photos are an actual Airbus 340 that crashed during ground tests on November 15th, 2007 but that the information in the email is made up or, at best, unconfirmed. According to Snopes the media blackout is an outright lie - although that does make me wonder why my Google news search didn't some up with anything. Maybe because it's such old news?

If anyone has some real news - not just from a random travel blog - please share. If I'm wrong I'll admit it but I just don't believe this email is real - even if the photos might be.

Anyone here have Red Mountain Resort & Spa on their list?

I recently received a press release that said, "Red Mountain Spa is expanding its name to Red Mountain Resort & Spa."

It also listed some of their packages. The premium ones ($379/person double occupancy) sounded pretty interesting: Detoxification and Renewal, Eat Well, Feel Well Culinary School, Emotional Fitness, Fitness Boot Camp, Girlfriends Spa Road Trip, Life Compass Retreat, Passages – What’s NEXT!, Zion Adventure, Red Rock Honeymoon, Spa Sampler, Stepping Stones…Transitions through Menopause, and Ultimate Spa Getaway.

I wasn't sure if this would be a good destination for solo travelers (the ala carte "package" is $179/night single or double occupancy but otherwise rates seem to be based on double occupancy). It also seemed that the packages were designed to attract women more than men. I had a chance to ask Tracey Welsh, the general manager of Red Mountain Resort & Spa, these and a couple of other questions about the resort.

I see there are some packages aimed clearly at women: Girlfriends Spa Road Trip and Transitions through Menopause, for example. Are there any packages aimed specifically toward men?

We see many men take advantage of our Signature Package, where they can add on our outdoor adventure trips, such as Rock Climbing, Canyoneering, and Mountain Biking. Men also come for our Eat Well Feel Well Culinary School and our Detoxification & Renewal Package.

My question: Other than hikes and the resort itself, what attractions can travelers find nearby? How might a short stay at the Red Mountain resort and Spa fit into a longer vacation itinerary?

A “must do” when you are here is to visit Zion National Park. Red Mountain offers guided hiking experiences throughout our area and can handle all your needs to go to Zion. It’s only an hour away and is a magnificent experience. We’re also within hours of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon National Park.

My question: What are some good packages for a solo traveler and have you got any tips on how someone staying at the resort alone can have the most possible fun?

The Red Mountain Resort & Spa is perfect for a solo guest, as our hiking program and community dining table provide a great place to meet fellow spa-goers. We see guests who meet at the spa come time and time again for their own Red Mountain Reunion! One of our newest packages that may appeal to a solo traveler is our Inward Bound Meditation and Yoga retreat with Andrea Hanson. Andrea is trained and recommended by Deepak Chopra, and this retreat is designed for you to really focus on your own needs and explore those age old questions “Who Am I?” “What do I really want?”.

My question: What is the essential message you want to communicate to my readers?

Red Mountain Resort & Spa is in an astonishing setting that inspires our guests to challenge themselves in many ways, and our goal is to help our guests take that inspiration home to live a better life. Some may find new ways to enjoy healthy food, others will be inspired to add daily fitness into their lives, and again others will find new ways to reduce stress. It’s truly a vacation experience that helps you live a better life.

My question: What philosophy is reflected in the strength and cardio centers? Are machines emphasized over dumbbells and barbells? Are sprints and HIIT emphasized over jogging on a treadmill?

According to Red Mountain Resort & Spa Fitness Manager Kim Watters, the philosophy we employ is to work out smarter, not harder. It is important to know your personal fat burning heart rate zone, your aerobic base, as well as your anaerobic threshold, which is the point they your begin working your muscles without oxygen, believed to be at about 87% of your Maximum Heart Rate. With this information you will be much more efficient in reaching your fitness goals. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds, you will want to work out within a heart rate range where you will optimize the most number of calories that come from your body. In regards to free weights versus machines, we take an individualized approach. If our guest is strong enough to execute an exercise with proper form, free weights will benefit and challenge them. When a weight machine is used, the guest does not need to support their own body weight or balance themselves as much throughout the exercise. Machines for this guest are safer to use, and guests find them user friendly.

With regards to sprints versus jogging on a treadmill, again, we take a goal oriented individualized approach. Does our guest want to improve their agility and speed, or do they want to run a marathon. The suggested work out is specific to their needs. Personally, I find the treadmill workout a little boring and am more passionate about working out in the outdoors or with a group. Others may love the “alone” time on a treadmill to really focus on their goals.

New airline fees are coming. What do you think about paying to buy a ticket and paying to use the bathroom?

We knew it wouldn't end with paying for a pillow (when they actually have one on the plane).

Ryanair is talking about charging people to use the bathroom. Normally I would say that this has to violate some sort of health code, but pay toilets are actually pretty common in Europe.

And Spirit has had their own brainstorm - this one is being implemented soon - a fee to buy a ticket. Apparently if you don't buy your ticket at a Spirit counter you'll be paying an extra $5 to $10. Between the fee to buy a ticket, the fee to reserve a seat, the nonexistent customer service, and the milf ads, I still don't like Spirit.

San Francisco hostels, happy travel story, sad travel stories

Before I forget (I've been meaning to blog this one for months), I'll start with a link to this article on hostels in San Francisco, a city that's pretty high on my list. I hear it isn't cheap so I'd certainly consider staying in a hostel - the article is generally positive.

Then this article reminded me of my uncle's situation. He was born in Germany and adopted in America. He recently used the internet (sorry but I forget the site) to find that he had a brother living in Florida and a sister living in Germany. He's already planning some sort of motorcycle trip with his brother and he's planning to meet his sister one of these days. I find it just an awesome, happy story.

I don't think I have any immediate relatives to meet, but I would love to find some distant relatives in Ireland (my maternal grandmother's heritage).

Now we turn to the sad travel stories.

Here's a couple who were kind of screwed by a resort on their honeymoon but who (if the travel agency can be believed) screwed themselves a bit too. They couldn't get the villa they booked, got put in a filthy one, and then instead of letting the hotel people clean it (or they could have paid extra for a hotel) they flew home.

Now I understand that on your honeymoon everything is supposed to go smoothly. And you're supposed to get upgraded, not downgraded. But I don't understand flying home the next day.

Here's an article about travel scammers who call up and say you've won a free prize (like a cruise) but then ask you to pay too much in port fees or whatever. They actually got $750,000 from a lady with Alzheimer's disease. I don't know what to say about that - it's disgusting and more. Anyway they seem to get a lot of people so be wary.

And to wrap up the sad stories we return to a major theme from the summer, China and Tibet. According to this article the Chinese government is being preemptive in stopping any possible protests by declaring (unofficially perhaps) martial law in some areas.

I have to admit I had forgotten about China's treatment of Tibet (and other human rights abuses like the cover ups of kidnapping an HBO documentary exposed) and would have entertained the idea of returning to China for another trip if I hadn't seen this article.

Broken clock motor seen as a security threat but passenger allowed to fly anyway?

A while back I wrote about how a JAL / AA codeshare flight could have cost $1100 a person - just to change the date. I really wanted to change the date because my grandfather had passed away and I ended up using a Korean travel agent to make the change for about $70 a person.

Anyway, I ended up getting ripped off on the flight anyway. In my checked baggage I had a clock that my grandparents had bought in Mexico on vacation. It hadn't worked in the past 5 or 10 years but I remember them showing it off after their Mexican cruise when I was a kid and I thought it would be a nice keepsake.

My plan was to bring the clock to Korea and get it repaired. So my wife took the hands and motor off the face and wrapped the thing up in 2 parts so it wouldn't get damaged.

So after flying American Airlines to Tokyo and Asiana to Seoul (with our luggage checked through) and taking a taxi, bus, and car, we realized that we no longer had the clock. No problem - we should be able to find a new motor somewhere and the other one was broken anyway. Then we realized we did have a problem - the hands.

Apparently a security screener tossed our broken clock motor (no ticks, no tocks, no batteries) and the hands it was packed with. I am not entirely surprised because I've heard of ticking alarm clocks causing trouble. Part of me would like to blame TSA, but there's no luggage check notice or anything so I suppose it could have been security in Japan.

Either way, it's a problem. If it looked suspiciously like a bomb, why would they let me get on the plane? They should have at least questioned me or something if there was any suspicion.

And if my broken clock motor was clearly not a threat why toss it in the trash? Not that I know it's in the trash but what else could they have done with it? And isn't our system seriously messed up if screeners can open luggage, take stuff out, and not put in one of those papers that says the luggage was searched?

How can we expect a system to work if there's no accountability?

Traveling doctors and travel deals for Disney, Hawaii, and spring break

I don't know how many of us can actually use this information, but this article talks about how traveling doctors have a nice lifestyle:

Dr. Albert Breland Jr., a psychiatrist from Del Mar, has worked in Jackson, Miss.; Danville, Ill.; and Anchorage, Alaska, among other locations, since coming out of retirement to become a locum tenens physician in 2002.

“The nice thing about the business is that you get to select where you go and how long you stay,” Breland said.

We have some new Disney attractions and a new hotel according to this article. Call me cynical but isn't it just like Disney to name something on a ten foot high pedestal a "Treehouse Villa". Not that I won't ever return to Disney - where I'm told you can have a pretty romantic vacation - it's just not that high on my list. This article also talks about Disney deals.

This article says it's a great time to visit Hawaii because the economy is so tough that the crowds are gone. Plus there are deals available. Plus it's pretty high on my list.

Then we have a Spring Break sale: The Country Inns & Suites Spring Break 1, 2, Wheee! offer runs now through April 30 at many of the more than 450 Country Inns locations in the U.S. and Canada, including great spring break destinations like Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Nashville, San Diego, Phoenix and New Orleans, providing 33% off each night of a 3-night stay. That’s like getting 3 nights for the price of 2.

And another spring break sale:

SpringBreakRooms.com features destinations including Panama City Beach, Cancun, Miami and Daytona Beach and offers packages with luxury hotel accommodations and party packages with free entry into local hot spots. Trips start as low as $109 for a full week.

Spring break deals include, but aren’t limited to:

· Panama City Beach – Origin at Seahaven – 7 nights from $119/person
· Panama City Beach – Chateau Motel – 7 nights from $109/person
· Miami – Whitelaw Hotel – 5 nights from $119/person
· Daytona Beach – Plaza Ocean Club – 4 nights from $445/person

Travel safety: Mexico, talking too much, how to avoid pickpockets, swimming in fresh tropical water

The economy has many people staying home, or at least close to home on vacation. Other people are trying to figure just where they can safely go - the travel warnings on Mexico have raised some questions for example.

For those of you lucky enough to be traveling, this one has some interesting tips on how to avoid pickpockets. It's a little better than the ususl "watch your money" type of advice - it has pictures, pickpocket tactics (did you know you have to be extra careful when someone approaches with a newspaper unfolded?), etc.

This article offers some common sense tips on traveling safely. One that I hadn't really thought of before is that you shouldn't say too much on airplanes if you happen to be sitting next to someone chatty.

This article has different tips but I wish they had some explanations, especially for this one: "When in the tropics, avoid swimming in fresh water."

This advice for Colorado University students going on Spring break caught my eye: "Avoid out of the way places." On the one hand you don't want drunk Spring breakers going for walks in the desert or something but you do want to encourage people to really travel and maybe find an interesting out of the way place.

Where can I vacation with Eagle?

As some of you already know, I'm a dog lover. I rescue strays in my free time and one of them is a schnauzer named Eagle that my wife found on the street in Korea. We couldn't find a home for him in Korea but my parents were looking for a dog so we brought him to America.

One time we took him to Vermont where we all had a great time - Eagle really loved roaming the woods there. Although (like my wife) he wasn't really happy with how warm the cabin got after I got a really excellent fire going in the wood burning stove. Luckily he forgot about the heat quickly - my wife was yelling at me for weeks. At least I know I can get a hot fire going.

Anyway, yesterday's discussion of renting big home in North Carolina's Outer Banks got me thinking about possibly going there or somewhere else with Eagle. I started sorting through some vacation rentals to see what might pop up and this rentals site actually had a link to its pet friendly rentals.

I was browsing through those, looking for US ones, when I got a bit distracted. Most of the listings are for European rentals and when I got to this one I had to stop. I have a thing for Rome and $566/week seems pretty reasonable. Of course with the owners filling out their information you have to be careful. One place was advertised at $150/week but that was what the owner wanted per day...

Anyway, I went back to the Pet Friendly listings, looking for something not too long a drive from New York. I figured the 4x4 beaches mentioned yesterday would be tough to beat. I saw one on Long Island (wine country beach house for $1600/week) and one in the Poconos ($1400/week but how they could charge almost as much as they do on Long Island is a real mystery to me), and while those are much closer than North Carolina, they're places I've been many times before. Eagle wouldn't care but I want something new. I think North Carolina might be going on my list.

The Outer Banks, NC advice

Question: Can anyone give me any feedback on summer vacations they have taken in the Outer Banks area? I am not looking for night life or busy towns... more like a nice home on the beach with lots of space within a car or bike ride to a small town.

Thanks in advance for the assistance!

My answer:

I know someone who has gone there 7 times, specifically to Kelly's Gaff. He recommends Twiddy for rentals as well as Carolinadesigns.com and
Karichele.com. I honestly don't know which is better -I've never used any of them but my friend says all 3 are good.

Another friend has used ResortQuest (if you can swing it, choose the Gold or Platinum level homes) and Village Realty. He says both are highly recommended.

If you're not looking for night life, one of the 4X4 beaches, where you can only get to the home by driving up the beach would be great. I'm told they have wild horses. You can go up to the northern shore (one person mentioned Duck and Coralla) for the best beaches, the best houses, and the fewest crowds.

By the way, I'm told that in Duck, Elizabeth's Cafe and Winery is a must-visit.

Instead of getting a house on the beach, another person said when they stayed in Corolla, they liked all of the ammenities (Shuttle service to beach, community pools, fitness centers, BBall, tennis, etc.) that are offered in Corolla Light and Currituck Club. It seems to be much quieter, laid back than at the Jersey Shore or Myrtle Beach. You can get way more value in terms of rental properties in that area. With the shuttle service to the beach, he recommended renting houses on the sound for the fishing, crabbing, and sunsets.

Keep in mind that you pay twice or three times as much during the summer and you have to be careful about the weather if you want to save money by going in September or something.

If you can add something about North Carolina's Outer Banks, please do.

What will it take to rebrand Sierra Leone as a tourist destination?

This article talks about the emerging tourism industry in Sierra Leone and the country seems anxious to become a tourist spot. Some governemtns are helping out: Sierra Leone has been removed from the U.S. State Department's Travel Advisory list.

The author says that the war in Sierra Leone is over and that the country is safer now. But it still seems like a place many will hesitate to visit:

Today the nation is safer--but thanks to a lofty inflation rate of 8%, a microscopic gross domestic product of $2 billion, an abysmal life expectancy of 41 and widespread human rights violations, Sierra Leone ranks last in the United Nations' Human Development index.

Some things the author mentions seem cheap (like you'd expect): $1 Heinekens for example. Others seemed pretty expensive like paying $150/day for a driver or $100/night for one of the few hotels with indoor plumbing. For now, Sierra Leone isn't very high on my list. Let's see if they can do anything to change that as they try to rebrand as a tourist destination.

Objectum Sexuals: people who fall in love with tourist atractions (and other stuff)

This is more weird than travel related. I'll try to post something more directly related to travel planning in a few hours.

Apparently 40 people in the world (all women) are people who fall in love with objects, objectum sexuals. Some objects are popular tourist attractions like the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Berlin Wall, and the Eiffel Tower. Apparently the first objectum sexual married and made love to the Berlin Wall. The objects of affection are not always tourist attractions; there's also a woman who fell in love with a bow.

Watch Married To The Eiffel Tower [Part 1]  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

The documentary takes all this very seriously, but I couldn't help but laugh when two objectum sexuals met in New York and they talked about how the city had enough beautiful objects to drive someone insane. I didn't know what to do (I didn't laugh) when the security guard told one of them to stop hugging and kissing the Empire State Building though.

Any questions for Marc Nowak or a historian?

Marc Nowak is the general manager of Governor Hotel in Portland. They also have a resident historian who can answer questions for us. These pictures of the hotel were taken in 1909 and 2009:

The Governor is adjourned with rustic sconces, chandeliers and original Northwest artwork from the early 1900’s. Marc would be thrilled to talk to you about the early days of the hotel and the intricate steps that have been taken to preserve its unique history through several multi-million dollar renovations.

So if there's anything you'd like to ask, put it in the comments and I'll pass it along.

Also, you only have one day left to submit questions for Park West.

Can we use vacation time to get ready for a new career?

Here's an interesting article on Vocation vacations, a company I mentioned way back when. The article seems to be suggesting that a vocation vacation might help you if you need to switch careers because of a layoff. Apparently customers agree:

And while the company still offers the same spectrum of more than 150 job mentorships, more people are thinking practical over pie in the sky. Vocation Vacations today are more likely to be booked to test jobs in the culinary field, freelance writing, or the nonprofit sector than something like a brew master or sports announcer — “whatever is the most pragmatic and can be done in a turnaround time of months versus years,” Mr. Kurth said.

Now you can accuse me of putting all my eggs in one basket, but I prefer to use my vacation time to do something noteworthy in my own field. For me that means publishing papers, giving speeches, earning extra degrees or certificates, etc. Maybe it's a little different for me because we need educators even during a recession but I'm confident that I could find another position easily thanks to the work I've put in. So I say try to become the best at what you do instead of getting ready for a new career (assuming you like your current career - if you want to do something new then you should certainly begin preparing for it).

Las Vegas travel plan: focus on food and free attractions

Here's a Las Vegas travel plan that focuses on eating well and seeing the top free attractions Sin City has to offer in only 2 days.

Day 1:

Brunch at Bellagio. Here you pay about $15/person for a buffet with a big selection and where everything tastes good.

After you’ve eaten, walk off those calories at the Fremont Street Expereince. Fremont street has stuffy casinos if that’s your thing. They have vendors if you’re a shopper. The huge LED canopy covering 5 blocks of Fremont Street does something special every hour on the hour.

Back to the strip and check out Circus Circus. Different acts perform each half hour from 11 a.m. to midnight. They only have about 60 seats and you can’t reserve one because it’s free. Normally 15 minutes before a show starts is fine to get a seat though.

Dinner can be expensive or very expensive.

Expensive: celebrate your first day in Vegas with a nice steak. Some say the best steakhouse value in Vegas is the Pullman Grille in the Main Street Station Casino downtown. They have a nice ambience with an old Pullman car inside the steakhouse that used to belong to Louisa May Alcott. They also have incredible food and reasonable prices.

Very expensive: If reasonable isn’t your thing, go for dinner at what some say is the best restaurant in America, Joel Robuchon's French place in the MGM Grand. The tasting menus are $385 each or $650 each…

After that you’ve got your casinos and nightclubs, your expensive shows, or Treasure Island hosts a free show, four performances nightly at 7, 8:30, 10, and 11:30pm.

Day 2:

Mon Ami Gabi in front of Paris - Get a table on the patio for lunch. Excellent food and great place to people watch. If you time it right you'll see the fountains at Bellagio during your meal.

If you want another brunch, try Bouchon for brunch in the Venetian hotel. It’s a Thomas Keller restaurant and it's excellent.

Now you need something to do. If you didn’t do Mon Ami Gabi, and still want to see the Fountains of Bellagio, the fountains dance to the music and light show every half hour Monday through Friday 3pm to 7pm; Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays, Noon to 7pm; and every 15 minutes nightly between 8pm and Midnight. the Eiffel Tower of the Paris Las Vegas hotel has a nice view of the fountains.

After that, how about a Vegas-style nature walk? The MGM Grand’s lion habitat is open from 11am to 10pm. The Mirage has its white tiger habitat (by the Las Vegas Boulevard entrance). The volcano erupts at the top of each hour from 6pm to Midnight so you may want to come back later.

What you have to do at some point before leaving Vegas is see an Elvis show. I’m told that there’s a good free one in the Riviera Hotel but I can’t find confirmation on their website. This part of the travel plan could use some more research.

If you're looking for something different for dinner, there's a restaurant called Switch in the Wynn hotel. The ceiling and decor switch 3 times each hour. A little pricey for the food, but pretty cool.

A less expensive option = dinner at Burger Bar in Mandalay Place.