Travel plan idea blog

The David Neeleman story

This is a very interesting read (though you will have to put up with quite a few ads on the page).

David Neeleman is best known for starting JetBlue, but that was his 3rd airline (he's started 4). The first, Morris Air, he sold to Southwest and went to work for them but got fired. Then he started WestJet (not sure how he moved on to Jet Blue). Then JetBlue was 3rd and now he's working on Azul (operating in Brazil where Neeleman was born).

Anyway, my summary skips lots of good details so I highly recommend the article.

Folgers "Home for the Holidays" Contest

Here's the contest. I wonder if expats are allowed to enter - I'm a resident of the US so I meet that qualification but something tells me they only want to spring for domestic airfare... But even if I'm not eligible, I at least hope that military people serving overseas are allowed to enter.

Edit: Expats and service members stationed overseas can not enter. Entrants need to be US residents and traveling from one US state to another (or Washington DC).

Entries are now being accepted for the Folgers "Home for the Holidays" Contest. From September 30, 2009 through November 7, 2009, America can visit www.folgers.com for a chance to win a trip home to celebrate with family. Five winners will receive a seven day, six night trip in December, 2009 for themselves and up to three other guests to travel to their hometown destination within the 48 contiguous United States.

To enter, visitors to the site will be asked to describe what they think is the best part of wakin' up at home during the holidays. Winners will be announced on or about November 11, 2009. Each trip includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, a rental car, $1,000 spending money and a Folgers gift basket. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. 18 years old or older. Void where prohibited. See www.folgers.com for Official Rules and complete details.

$275 for an overnight trip for 4 or more?

Our school has a new government-funded program designed to "Support increased interaction between foreign faculty members and students." You're allowed up to one trip per month and 300,000 KRW / month (maybe around $275). The team needs to consist of at least one faculty member and at least 3 students.

I would prefer to take more than 3 students but for transportation and overnight accommodation it would be pretty tricky to squeeze in 5 or 6 students. Originally I was thinking a team like this:

students 1: in charge of transportation
student 2: in charge of accommodations
student 3: in charge of restaurants
students 4 and 5: in charge of history, cultural experiences, entertainment

The 5 students and I would take a train to Andong, known for traditional Korean mask dances, and stay there over night. I don't see that happening now but we could possibly do something here in Seoul. I could take 10-20 students to a museum and out to eat for example. That allows me to bond with more students but it's not as "special" as an overnight trip to another city since students can go to a museum in Seoul any time.

It may actually be possible to do Andong in a pension (pretty common in Korea - see Pyeong Chang, Ducksan, and Sokcho for times I stayed in a pension). We may be able to find one where all 6 of us could stay in one room but I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean we could do one room for the students and one room for me but that feels weird too...

I'm also willing to spend some of my own money so maybe the 300,000 KRW could be for the student's expenses and I could pay my own way.

Slow travel = staying in one place for a while and connecting with the culture

I saw someone wearing a t shirt today that said "slow travel" and had some text about staying in a vacation spot for a while and connecting with the locals. I've always been a fan of staying in a city for a month in order to really get to know it. I came home and searched for "slow travel" and found a few sites talking about it. I learned a new phrase!

The idea is to live at the destination. That means:

Stay for a while (I'd say a month is just about right).
Shop for groceries and other items that locals shop for.
Get into a routine and meet locals (like going to the same cafe every day).

The best example I have of slow travel was my honeymoon where we spent 1 month in Rome while I took a language teaching course. Some people in the course were Italians so we went out to dinner with them, went to a bar with them, etc. We also went to the same cafe, gelateria, and pastry shop every day (often more than once a day) and though we gained a bit of weight we did get to know the people there a little bit.

This was actually more evident in Assisi where we also stayed for 1 month. There was only 1 gelateria there and we got to know the owner pretty well since he was there every day (and we went at least once a day). There was a restaurant, Il Duomo, that we went to at least every other day. Also, one of my classmates from the course in Rome owned a shop in Assisi where she sold hand made wood toys and music boxes. My wife likes music boxes and these were quite nice so we went to that store often and bought a bunch of music boxes that we still have on display but that no longer work. I think they need some oil or something - they seem to get stuck.

We were planning to stay in Lisbon (not the Lisbon in Ohio) for a month this winter. Now we're thinking we might split that trip up so we spend some time in Amsterdam (where I was supposed to meet a friend a while ago and maybe we can finally meet there this winter), then somewhere, then Lisbon - maybe a week or a bit more in each.

That timing worked out pretty well when we spent a week in Munich, a week in Zurich, and about 2 weeks in Madrid. I don't really consider that slow travel although we did meet and get friendly with a few locals in Madrid. I actually felt more like slow travel in London when we would go to the same Costa Coffee every day and talk to the Italian guy who started the original Costa Coffee. I hope it's true because no one actually believes I met the founder when I tell the story - at least not if they know how big Costa Coffee is now.

Another trip I have planned for some day is a month in Italy for a language course so my wife and I can work on our Italian. Maybe Bologna.

And it was actually a slow travel story that got me motivated to travel when I was 22 or so. I met a guy who had spent a month in Ghana taking xylophone lessons and living in some village for $25 a week or something. It sounded pretty cool.

Has anyone here had a slow travel experience? If so, can you tell us something about it? Or if you had a month would you go somewhere specific for a slow travel experience?

Should You Pay for Internet Access in Hotels? / Some Even More Expensive Hotel Rooms!

Mancunian is back:

If you are reading this in a hotel room somewhere, you may be paying more than you want to in order to access the internet. A USA Today survey of 80 major hotel chains found that around 40% of them charge for internet access in guests' rooms. Strangely enough, the more expensive hotels tend to charge, whereas cheaper hotels generally don't charge. The daily charge can range from $9.95 to $14.95 per day and often guests don't realize or understand that they are paying extra. Hotels that charge include Marriot, Omni, Embassy Suites and Sheraton.

The outrageous cost of some of the world's most expensive hotel rooms never ceases to amaze me. It's something this blog has looked at before, although it seems that the worse the economic situation gets, the more some people will pay for a night's stay.

The latest contender to have prices so ridiculous that one wonders who actually stays there is the Palms hotel and resort in Las Vegas, that offers a 10,000 square foot suite with its own basketball halfcourt, for $25,000 a night. But that seems quite a bargain compared to the hotel's Hugh Heffner Sky Villa, which rents for $40,000 a night. I trust there is no additional charge for internet access in the room...?

And just when I thought that $40,000 a night could not possibly be beaten, I came across this list of hotel superlatives, which lists the world's most expensive hotel room as the $50,000 a night Royal Villa at the Grand Resort Lagonissi in Greece. Apparently, if you stay there, you enjoy a wonderful view of the Aegean Sea; well, I should hope so, for that price!

If you are looking for an unusual - and not necessarily expensive - room, this site is exactly what it sounds like - a guide to some of the oddest and most intriguing hotel rooms around the world. Using this guide, you can sleep in a 747 Jet, a tree house, at the bottom of the ocean and even in a hotel that straddles the border of two countries.

And here is an interesting concept - the Westin Resort in Aruba is offering couples a credit of $300 toward a future stay, if they conceive while staying at the hotel, anytime between now and December 19th. Apparently, if you become pregnant, you would have to supply a doctor's note stating that it probably occurred during that period. No word on the hotel's policy if you conceive, but you didn't actually mean to.

Luxury hotels like Four Seasons San Francisco in serious trouble?

This news (if the link doesn't work, just search Bloomberg news for "hotel" - that's actually what I had to do after following the Google link - not sure what's going on there) is very surprising to me. I knew the economy would hurt the travel industry and I've known it has been hurting the travel industry, but this is a shocker:

A $90 million loan secured by the Four Seasons San Francisco, a 277-room, five-star property, is 90 days delinquent and foreclosure proceedings have begun, according to Realpoint. A notice of default has been filed, according to Bloomberg data.

Apparently the luxury hotels really are hurting because some of them borrowed a lot of money before luxury travel took its big hit.

This article talks about the AIG effect, which they say has had a profound effect that is starting to fade:

"Resort communities have been demonized,'' Loews Hotels CEO Jonathan Tisch complained during a recent interview at the company's 790-room hotel in Miami Beach.

For South Florida's hotel industry, the "AIG effect" distinguishes this recession from past ones, with meeting bookings dropping farther and resisting a rebound, industry watchers said.

"Nobody could have forecast the weakness in group bookings", said Scott Berman, a hotel analyst in Miami and head of PricewaterhouseCoopers' hospitality division. "I use the word unprecedented."

And for good measure, we have some travel deals including spa hotels...

Interesting press release for True Blood and Twilight fans

I didn't write this one - I will admit that I watched some of twilight though - up to the baseball game. I can't say these vacations inspire me for the movie tourism but some of them sound good anyway... Here's the press release (most of it):

VAMP YOUR VACATIONS:

Louisiana

CheapOair is offering a special package to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, located in Louisiana, the home to the many vampires of the True Blood Series. Guests can enjoy an exclusive special rate of $102*per night for this four star property from CheapOair. You can find cheap flight deals to this destination as well on CheapOair.

Somehow I don't think the True Blood series will inspire this guy to choose New Orleans over Kansas City.

Vancouver, BC, Canada

CheapOair is offering a special package at the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, located in Vancouver, a coastal city located in British Columbia, Canada. Nothing says Happy Halloween then a beautiful city which happens to have a truly uncanny experience and a true taste of the life of Bella Swan and the Cullen vampire family. Starting at $95 *per night for this four star property, this exclusive rate can be found on CheapOair. You can find cheap flight deals to this destination as well on CheapOair.

Oregon

CheapOair is offering a special package to The Nines in Oregon, the film site of the romance film, Twilight. With Portland's beautiful waterfalls; natural wildlife and its green, wet forests (perfectly suited for vampires) you are sure to feel just like you are on the set of the movie. Guests can enjoy an exclusive special rate of $100*per night for this five star property on CheapOair. You can find cheap flight deals to this destination as well on CheapOair.

Montepulciano, Italy

CheapOair is offering a special package to the Park Hotel Colle Degli Angeli Spa and Resort, in Montepulciano, Italy, the site of the second sequel in the Twilight saga, New Moon. Explore the many historic sites and landmarks that are a part of New Moon in the exquisite city of Montepulciano. Guests can enjoy an exclusive special rate starting at $91* per night for this four star property on CheapOair. You can find cheap flight deals to this destination as well on CheapOair.

Interview with conservationists setting up an ecotour in Indonesia

I recently got an email from some environmental group that Force for the Forest needs money. I immediately decided not to send money. I'm cheap and I don't trust people who email me.

But I was interested in the part that said there would eventually be ecotours in the jungle of Indonesia. I've written before about safaris and a national park in India and I dream about doing some more nature-related travel. Here is a picture of 2 people walking in the jungle where the tours will be. I have more pictures to share later.

I emailed them and found that they had already done one ecotour and they agreed to an interview which I'm posting below:

What about the July trek persuaded you that eco-tours would be worth the considerable effort and expense you seem to be undertaking to set them up?

In SE Asia the rain forest is gone. All that is left is marginal or oil palm plantation. Except here in Aceh, where you can still walk through virgin rain forest, and it is an unforgettable, wonderful experience. There are many people throughout the world who want to see the forest, and there are very few places left where you actually can see it, and know that it is as it should be full of wildlife.

How long would a trek have to be for one to have a reasonable chance of seeing one of the big animals (rhino, elephant, tiger).

The chances of seeing these three are very, very low. They are nocturnal and shy. You WILL see tracks of elephant - you have to use either their paths or forest stream beds, except in the swamp where we have built a board walk. Actually, when I was walking about the camp at night to get some water, having woken up with jetlag at 3 in the morning, I suddenly realised I didn't want to see a tiger!

What wildlife would you be pretty much guaranteed to spot?

All sorts of birds, including rhinoceros hornbill and black eagle, various frogs and lizards, siamang, gibbon, wild boar, deer, Thomas Leaf monkey, orang-utan (at least heard), many insects and fish. Seeing wildlife in the forest is not easy, and really you need to be in place by a fruiting tree at dawn, quiet and silent to watch them come to feed. As we increase tourism, wildlife will get to realise that we are not hunters and more will be seen. In the swamp there has been an orang-utan research centre for 25 years and the animals are not bothered by people and it is easier to see them.

If you are interested in the smaller animals, you will see some you cannot identify and they may well be new. I am still very excited about a large green frog with red legs that made a noise like a chicken laying an egg - no idea what it was! Unfortunately it was too shy to permit a photo.

What might the cost be (approximate)?

Probably US$100 per day, which includes licences and internal transfers, some of which will be by chartered airline, some by helicopter. We have to work on this, as getting there is expensive, staying there isn't! So it may well come to an access and transfer fee and a residential and guiding fee, so it becomes cheaper the longer you stay.

What would the food be like?

We loved it! Rice based, with great flavours and sauces - local food that you pay a fortune for in restaurants! Can be as hot as you like, lots of different fruits, the meat is mainly chicken but also fish. Great vegetables and lots of eggs in different forms - usually some sort of omelette.

How would the guides be trained?

We will select guides from active forest rangers who speak English. They have been working in the forest clearing oil palm plantations and surveying. Our main expert is an American who has thirty years experience running white water rafting trips in various parts of the world, including several years in Sumatra. He will be responsible for training all guides. However at present we have no medical facilities - obviously we can work on this for the future.

We are talking with a company that currently takes bird watching tours into Papua New Guinea, and they are enthusiastic but their guiding requirements are very different - the guides need to be able to recognise birds at great distance. This is a skill we need to work on.

Would the mosquitoes kill us wimps?

Mosquitoes are not a problem - there aren't very many and even in the swamp surprisingly hardly any at all. You WILL be bitten by two types of leeches - and after a while you will find it really doesn't bother you and they are far, far preferable to mosquitoes! Leeches give you the shudders at the very thought, but after a while you discover that they don't hurt and they cannot pass on disease. We found that wearing Wellington boots completely foxed them - they don't get up the boots - and tiger balm drives them away. They love croc shoes though - all those lovely entrances! Wellington boots and crocs are not suitable for walking though - your footwear will be permanently wet as you walk in streams.

Does anyone know the ebay accounts that sell TSA confiscated items?

This article talks about how many state surplus agencies sell confiscated items from airport security on Ebay (after the Boyscouts get all the good stuff). Anyway, I was curious to see what kind of stuff we're talking about - does anyone know the ebay accounts that sell these TSA confiscated items for the states?

And, who's the lucky duck who got the confiscated kitchen sink? Not sure why it was being carried on or why TSA thought it was a threat but according to that article it happened.

They mentioned some people crying about things they had to part with (although if you have time you can have the stuff put in your checked baggage according to the article). Anyway, that part reminded me of my missing clock hands and broken motor. The difference is that this stuff was taken from my checked baggage and I have no idea why the stuff was taken out.

Medivac or medevac? And what happens if you don't have insurance?

It's been a while (over 2 years I see) since I wrote about travel insurance, specifically for medical expenses like medical evacuation. It's something I used to be real curious about but then it sort of slipped of my radar.

But this article from the front page of Yahoo got me thinking. Now in this case the "traveler" was a researcher in Antarctica. So it's not like you or me going on vacation or anything but still it seems like this American guy was medivacced (medevacced?) free by the New Zealand air force.

That seems right - you have to get people medical care. But what if it had been me on a cruise to Antarctica without travel insurance?

I did a news search for both medivac travel and medevac travel (seen it spelled both ways but medivac looks to be more popuar):

This guy needs 250,000 Australian to get back home after a fall in the mountains of northern India. Sounds like he's paralyzed. No travel insurance. Scary.

Medivac may be coming to regular commercial flights which would cut costs.

So if I'm in Antarctica will New Zealand help me out too? It sounds like if I'm in a country with medical care I'm pretty screwed if I need medical evacuation. Anyone have something to add?

Plastic surgery to preapre for wedding day?

I happen to be a NY Giants fan and I happened to find this article on Michael Strahan, a former New York Giant defensive end who was really really good. He's retired now and starting his acting career and getting married.

Somehow, the website (The Plastic Surgery Channel) uses that as an excuse to ask if Strahan will get plastic surgery before his wedding and mention the following:

A recent segment on Plastic Surgery News highlighted the fact that more and more brides and grooms-to-be to go under the knife in hopes of looking "perfect" in wedding photos and honeymoon snaps. In fact, this trend has widened to include the couple's family members.

Wedding day patients commonly undergo Botox injections, face lifts, eyelid surgeries, liposuction, tummy tucks and body lifts. Many brides-to-be also opt for a breast augmentation, and both genders look to gain great skin through laser resurfacing. Because a cosmetic surgery patient needs recovery time, doctors advise those planning their nuptials to have their procedure done months prior to the big day.

New York Giants fans will know what I'm talking about when I say that Strahan needs an orthodontist before he needs a plastic surgeon. Not being mean - just honest. I love Strahan - famous for pass rushing but played great against the run as well. He helped the giants win A Super Bowl.

Anyway, this is just a warning that I'll be trying to report on his honeymoon plans. But don't worry - I think I'm done with the plastic surgery channel except as it applies to medical tourism like botox on vacation. Now that I think about it, they had Botox on the Norwegian Spirit.

Some Fascinating Fall Festivals / Not so Fascinating Travel Channel

Guest entry from Mancunian (welcome back!):

Firstly, my apologies for not posting on here in quite a while.. (Not since May of this year, I see) I have just been busy with things - I'm sure everyone knows how that is! Including taking my son to summer camp, where he enjoyed archery, hiking, orienteering, baseball games, trips to the zoo and tennis every day (he seems to have a more exciting life than I do).

Anyway, my son has been back at school for a few weeks, so I suppose that means it must be fall. To my amazement, the local Home Depot had a Halloween display up at the front of the store as long ago as August 31st - that seems almost as bad as celebrating Christmas months before the actual day (I remember the date well as I had to buy a new water heater - the only scary thing I found in the store was the price of them.)

Anyway, as it is fall (or autumn, if you are in the UK) here are some interesting and fascinating events that you shouldn't miss. The famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place from October 3rd to 11th this year, in New Mexico. The festival features over 700 balloons and pilots from countries such as Latvia, Israel and the Ukraine and apparently is the most photographed single event in the world.

I have seen signs for several corn mazes while driving around recently, although I hadn't realized just how popular these were. Apparently, there are more than 600 of them all over the United States - even one in Washington, DC. And the largest one is said to be Sever's corn maze in Shakopee, Minnesota. Of course, if you get lost in it, I suppose you can just trample your way to freedom.

Another thing associated with the fall is the pumpkin. This site has everything you ever wanted to know about pumpkin festivals and weighoffs all over the US, as well as some overseas. If you are in Half Moon Bay, California on October 12th, you can catch the world pumpkin championship weighoff - the winner collects around $20,000.

The next month or so is a great time to go to Europe - cooler temperatures, lower airfares and not as many crowds. And if you are heading to Germany in the next couple of weeks, you can try to catch one of the world's most famous and spectacular (not to mention overcrowded) festivals, the Oktoberfest in Munich. This year's extravaganza is from October 19th to October 4th.

And I can't resist mentioning one of my favorite subjects - the Travel Channel. I had high hopes that their programming would get better, although this has not really happened. The Travel Channel hit an all time low a few weeks ago by showing the movies "National Lampoon's European Vacation" and "National Lampoon's Vacation". Yes, admittedly they are films in which people travel, but to me this is rather like showing films in which people happen to be eating, on the Food Network! And the World Poker Tour is still on!!! Re-runs, at that! Anyone else have any opinions on the Travel Channel? I know we haven't discussed it for a while.

Changes in the travel industry

Interesting Q&A here with Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst for Forrester Research Inc. I don't know that everything here makes sense - the talk about why there are more female travel agents bothers me a bit. Maybe there's a hint of sexism in there. The line that no one will ever get rich in the travel industry is a bit too much. Maybe travel agents won't get rich unless they do something really special would be easier to agree with.

But the other stuff I found interestying and more agreeable: travel agents finding niches, the decline in retail travel agencies, the stuff on 18% of travelers not knowing where they want to go, and the comment that websites never ask about your budget.

Traveling for life?

A few interesting articles here on people who travel (or will get to travel) for extended periods of time:

First, is a retired man who seems to cruise full-time always on Carnival. Now I haven't heard anything recently but a few years ago there were a lot of complaints about Carnival cruises. Still, you can have fun on a cruise and still find things to complain about as my recent review of the NCL Spirit proves (I had fun but also got hammered for complaining too much).

Still, I don't care if it's the best cruise line, the worst one, or somewhere in between - a cruise is still a cruise and while I would eventually want to spend longer stretches on land to really explore and get to know a place, I certainly see the attraction of cruising for a big chunk of time. Somehow this search turned up an old blog entry on misleading ads and the cruise industry - this is a topic I'd like to explore in more detail so maybe this will help me remind myself.

The second article talks about a travel job where you really travel (or blog). There are actually two jobs:

Tourism Queensland -- a six-month island caretaker job in the Whitsundays with a pay packet of $150,000 to sit on the beach and blog.

The company Mason Horvath is offering six months of luxury travel for two valued at $US500,000 ($A700,000) plus $US50,000 pay in return for promotional video blogs en route by the winner.

I haven't applied for either (and it's too late for at least the first) but they certainly sound like pretty good jobs...

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is coming to Universal Studios in Orlando in Spring 2010. This is ore likely to influence my vacation planning that a wizard rock festival...

JK Rowling likes the theme park but what else would she say? Apparently, Stuart Craig, who is the production designer on the films, is designing the Potter World and Rowling is happy with the look of the movies:

"I truly think that walking into the theme park will be as close as you will ever get to walking onto the film set, or to walking into Hogsmeade. Better, of course, because it's 3D, and you can walk around the corner and look at the back, and it's going to be quite incredible. I really believe that, and personally, I think it will be the best thing in the world of its type, having seen what I've seen.

I'm not crazy about the fake snow they plan to put on roofs in Hogsmeade and I'm not looking forward to being surrounded by kids so I probably won't go unless I hear that they have great experiences for adults without kids, something like the romance people say they find in Disney. I think the key might be going when it's not crowded - like I bet winter 2011 would be much better for me than summer 2010.

What sweet deals have you been offered through loyalty programs?

A while back, my parents went to Vegas and stayed at the Palazzo. They just got a special offer via email:

Suites from $129 per night
Grazie members only will also receive:

30% off tickets at Blue Man Group
2-for-1 specialty cocktail at SUSHISAMBA
20% off bill at Morels French Steakhouse
25% off bill at Postrio by Wolfgang Puck
$30 off Spa services at Canyon Ranch SpaClub®
$25 in Grazie Slot Credits per stay

So what is a grazie member? Grazie is the loyalty program for Venetian/Palazzo Las Vegas so I'm guessing that even though someone forwarded me this deal I wouldn't be able to take advantage.

But it seems like a pretty good deal to be offering former customers. I've been offered "special" deals from NCL but they never seem all that special. I've gotten nice offers from JetBlue but none that I was able to take advantage of.

So I'm curious what kinds of special offers you've seen? Which loyalty programs impress you the most?

Anyone here gone backpacking?

2 days ago my wife met some cool people on one her DMZ tours. Tonight we had dinner with them. The parents live in Mexico in a resort retirement community and the 24-year-old woman just finished a 1 year teaching contract in Daegu, Korea.

Now she's going backpacking in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and maybe another country or two. I saw her backpack today and it was big (she's not). It's 39 pounds.

I've never gone backpacking. Carrying 40 pounds around on my back sounds pretty tough and I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. On the other hand, here's a travel experience I've never had and part of me is certainly curious.

So has anyone here gone backpacking? Where'd you go and how much of a burden was your pack?

Has anyone here never stayed in a Holiday Inn?

I just got a press release from Holiday Inn and the email started off with an interesting stat:

Did you know that every night more than 300,000 people stay at a Holiday Inn? And, that 9 out of 10 travelers have stayed at a Holiday Inn?

At first I laughed and assumed it was an exaggeration. Then I realized that I am one of those 9/10. Even if we're talking about Americans only, 90% is still pretty impressive.

If I remember correctly, my Holiday Inn stay was in Narita or Tokyo on a JAL layover. Sure I'd rather have stayed in one of these fancy Tokyo hotels but I'm sure many of us would end up at Holiday Inn. The question is how many of us? 9 out of 10?

Opinions needed on Giants away game trip

Question: The last 2 years my buddies and I have done a Giant away game and made a long a weekend out of it. We've done Buffalo and Pittsburgh, both great games in not so entertaining cities. This year Denver was the clear favorite, till the game was picked up on Thanksgiving. Now the group is split between Kansas City and New Orleans. The guys who want a great game day experience are in favor of KC, but the ones who want more to do in the city like New Orleans. Personally, I'm in favor of KC. Cost is a factor. Where would you most like to go?

My answer: I was in New Orleans in 2000 for Mardi Gras and it was awesome. Post-Katrina, reports have been mixed with some people loving it and some people saying it's dangerous. One of the people saying it's dangerous is a friend who lives in the French Quarter. I haven't talked to her in 2 years but 2 years ago (almost exactly) she said she didn't feel safe at all in the French Quarter and she would go outside for a smoke without her porch light on to avoid attention. Gunshots were not common but not unheard of. I mentioned this was keeping me from seriously considering a return to NO a while back.

A big group of guys not looking for trouble might be OK though and the food is said to be good (I couldn't afford any of it back in 2000). Also in favor of New Orleans is they should be better than the Chiefs so that could be the more entertaining game. Maybe.

I would go to Kansas City. I love BBQ, especially pulled pork. Plus I've never been there. People say KC has one of the best crowds in the NFL. Tailgating there is great as the Chiefs fans are friendly to anyone not wearing a Raiders jersey.

Downtown KC is now the Power and Light District. They say it's pretty hip. You can take a trip to the Negro League Museum - said to be very nice, but a little small. The Jazz museum is right there with it, should be worth a visit.

Anyway, if you're reading this please help so we don't have another repeat of this embarrassment the last time someone asked about a mancation.

BubbaFest: Florida Keys bike tour

This vacation idea reminded me of Carl Hiaasen (if you don't know him, he writes very funny novels about nature lovers and haters in Florida). It's a 7 night bike tour of the Florida Keys. It's supposed to be flat so maybe averaging 45 miles a day is realistic for some - not sure about me...

The cost is The fee is $595 per riderfor six nights of tent lodging at beachside campgrounds, seven breakfasts and five dinners, a private open-air trolley tour of Key West, social events such as beach parties and a farewell dinner, and services of a baggage truck and support vehicle.

You can snorkel, swim with dolphins, etc. I guess all that costs extra.

Here's the press release from BubbaFest Bike Tours:

FLORIDA KEYS -- Bicycling enthusiasts can pedal through the Florida Keys on one of America's most scenic highways during the 200-mile BubbaFest Bike Tour, set Saturday through Saturday, Nov. 7-14.

The fully supported seven-night bicycling adventure was created by retired police sergeant Bubba Barron, who has pedaled across America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to enable fellow cycling fans to discover the Keys' environment and attractions while enjoying their favorite sport.

BubbaFest cyclists are to travel from Key Largo to Key West and back along the Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), a scenic road that features 42 bridges between islands and long vistas of breathtaking open water.

"Exploring the Florida Keys by bicycle allows riders the chance to see, hear, smell and taste the Keys," said Barron, who first pedaled through the island chain in 2002 and has since hosted regular repeat rides for friends and fellow cyclists. "I love seeing riders from all over the country taking in the attractions, the weather, the people, the scenery and the local flavor."

Riders proceed at their own pace each day, with plenty of time for activities ranging from swimming with dolphins and visiting eco-attractions to sailing, snorkeling, sunning and exploring colorful galleries and boutiques. Support vehicles are available to transport anyone who chooses to take a break from cycling.

Attractions include manageable mileage averaging 45 miles per day, a mostly flat route suited to riders of all abilities, warm subtropical temperatures and breezes, accommodations at waterfront campgrounds or motels, and a limited number of participants to ensure a comfortably intimate experience.

BubbaFest begins in Key Largo Saturday, Nov. 7, with a 2-4 p.m. registration at Key Largo Resort at Manatee Bay, 102400 Overseas Highway, followed by a welcome beach party. Participants bike from Key Largo to the Marathon area Sunday, with a Monday layover to enjoy Marathon's watersports offerings and environmental attractions.

Tuesday's route takes bicyclists to Key West, where they spend two layover days exploring America's southernmost island. They begin the return trek Friday, Nov. 13, and arrive in Key Largo the following day.

The fee is $595 per rider, which includes six nights of tent lodging at beachside campgrounds, seven breakfasts and five dinners, a private open-air trolley tour of Key West, social events such as beach parties and a farewell dinner, and services of a baggage truck and support vehicle. Motel lodging is available for an additional fee, as are pampering options and top-quality rental bicycles for riders who don't want to bring or ship their own bikes.

BubbaFest is limited to 125 participants.

Lucky magazine sweepstakes: travel and shopping

Win a trip to New York, Paris, or London. The prize packages include fancy hotels and $1,000 worth of shopping at fancy stores.

Entry for the trip to Paris
Entry for the trip to London
Entry for the trip to New York

How swine flu has created one travel opportunity and denied me two others

I felt sorry for myself for a moment today when my wife asked if I wanted to go to Hong Kong one long holiday weekend - I guess she saw a good deal.

But because my school has that new rule where you can't come to campus within 7 days of returning from abroad, if I were to go to Hong Kong I would miss a week of classes when I got back. I would never do that so I felt sorry for myself a bit. Swine flu also cost me a chance to visit Costa Rica this summer.

But then I remembered that everything I did last week was kind of a bonus because I wasn't allowed on campus. That made me feel better.

NCL Spirit August 14-21, 2009 Boston to Bermuda cruise: comprehensive review

This was my second NCL cruise and the less satisfying of the 2. I can only recommend this cruise to people in the Boston area who want to leave on a cruise from Boston for convenience. I understand that NCL is also the only cruise line that has 7 day cruises to Bermuda with 3 days there. So if 2 days in Bermuda isn't enough, I could certainly see cruising there and staying for three days - that might be more relaxing than flying to Bermuda and then finding a hotel.

For experienced cruisers, however, the Spirit is unlikely to compare favorably to your other cruises. The ship is relatively small - the pool is tiny and there aren't a lot of extras that make you say "wow, how'd they get that on a ship?" It seemed similar to the NCL Pearl I took to Alaska, but the Spirit had no bowling lanes and no shabu shabu. They did have a few things the Pearl did not have, however; the Indian night ($15 cover) sounded interesting but they had often had an Indian dish on the main dinging room menu (free).

Despite the relatively small size of the ship, it didn't really have an intimate feel. For example, if you go eat breakfast at the buffet around 9:00 AM it will be way too crowded. I know that stressed my sister out a bit. My wife and I chose to wake up early every day and go to the main dining room where the breakfast food was very good but the service was slow.

We noticed slow service in the restaurants was pretty typical on this cruise. We were on vacation to relax so it wasn't too bad but being from New York and living in Seoul - I just appreciate speedy service so that I can decide how long the meal takes.

Speaking of food, there were several times when we were really surprised at how salty some of the dishes were. My family tends to like salty food but there were quite a few times when something would just have way too much salt. It may sound funny to complain about free food because you can get something else instead. However, wasting food and waiting is not really comfortable. Interestingly, we only had this problem in the main dining room. The specialty restaurants were always very good.

While we're talking about specialty restaurants, we joked on the last night as we ate in the Italian one that we'd have eaten there every night if we had just tried it earlier. The cover is a little less ($10) and the food was very good (with the exception of the canoli that must have been pre-filled so it was nasty and soggy). The Asian restaurant (where you can get regular Asian dishes or sushi) was very good. We went twice. We didn't try Teppenyaki since it was pretty bad on the NCL Pearl. We didn't try Cagney's steakhouse because it was $25. For $35 you can have dinner in a famous steakhouse during restaurant week ($25 for lunch) and I guess because of the economy, restaurant week lasted for all of August at some places.

The rooms seemed quite small. I have no problem with small rooms but some people were a bit disappointed. I had a cheap inside room but even the balcony rooms seemed quite small. They certainly didn't seem as nice as the balcony I was in on the Norwegian Pearl.

Overall it was a great vacation but I think there are certainly better cruises out there. If you're limited to ones leaving from Boston, then I'm not so sure but this may be the best you can do. It's good, just not great.

Other NCL Spirit cruise related posts:

2 pictures
2 more pictures
The bad start
Days 1 & 2
Shore excursion talk
Confusion over edocs
Do you expect good entertainment on cruises?

2 more pictures from the Bermuda cruise: Catamaran sunset cruise shore excursion

This was the view we got when heading out for the sunset cruise catamaran shore excursion.

When we arrived in Bermuda, we had a note that one of our shore excursions had been canceled and moved to another day. No big deal except the new time was 9:15 AM or something and the old time had been 2:30 in the afternoon or so. I went to the shore excursion desk and they explained that we had been bumped because another ship was coming in.

Anyway, our second day in Bermuda we see Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). We talked to a few people from the Explorer and got the impression that is was a lot bigger than the NCL Spirit. Later we did a sunset cruise shore excursion (this is not the one that got rescheduled) and we saw that the Explorer of the Seas is tied for 3rd largest passenger ship in the world. It can handle about 3100 passengers as opposed to 2000 for the Spirit.

This was the view from our sunset cruise shore excursion.

The sunset cruise was $49 I think. They had one that seemed the same except it was all-you-can-drink rum swizzles and $89. Interestingly, the cheap one we went on also turned out to be free rum swizzles all night so we think we got a bargain.

The next morning, we were doing a glass bottom boat / snorkel shore excursion where the first rum swizzle was free but after that they were $3 each. We mentioned that last night we got free refills all night and the guys running this excursion seemed a little upset. They said that the guy last night wasn't supposed to do that but because he isn't doing well he's desperate.

It seemed kind of funny because the weak rum swizzles in a big cooler probably cost next to nothing so I don't see what the big deal is. The guy from the sunset cruise just seemed like a nice guy. Anyway, we were still happy to have saved the $40 and still get the free rum swizzles.

Norwegian Spirit cruise - the first two pictures

My blog is giving me some trouble so I'll do these 2 at a time (and show you 4 pictures of the cruise total).

Leaving Boston we grabbed a spot on the top deck at the back of the ship. The Boston skyline was OK but the highlights were the planes close overhead coming into the airport.

Here you see my wife and I posing on our Segways on a hill overlooking the Norwegian Spirit. Now my wife wants to buy a Segway but I hear they are $5,000 so I'm not so happy about the idea...

Wrapping up my mini-vacation

When I wrote about my little unexpected vacation, Sharon asked about the DMZ.

In Seoul, you can take a DMZ tour that brings you to a tunnel dug by North Koreans, an observation point, and the JSA (Joint Security Area). The tour is done by your local guide and by US army soldiers. It's pretty interesting. I actually wrote about it just over 3 years ago.

The part of the DMZ I visited the other day is in Gosung. Here there is much less to do - no tunnel and no JSA. The observation part is nice because it's on the coast and very beautiful. You can see a few mountains in North Korea but I found myself looking at the beach. No people but with binoculars you can see a plain military outpost.

They have gift shops with much of the same stuff I saw at the DMZ closer to Seoul: North Korean soju and other liquor, mostly. I did make one excellent find - a tshirt that says "Unification Observ". They forgot the "atory" so it's pretty funny. And it was only about $3.50 (4,000 KRW).

There were a few military vehicles like a Mustang fighter and a tank. There was a museum but it was nothing compared to the Korean War Museum in Seoul. There was a passenger train turned restaurant that amused me.

I believe that Gosung is the meeting point for tours of Keumgang Mountain. My wife wants to go but I have no interest at all - plenty of mountains in South Korea and elsewhere to visit.

Gosung happens to be right near Hwa Jin Po where they have a "castle" that used to be Kim Il Sung's summer home. It seemed like a nice house with the ocean on one side and a lake on another side. Great scenery.

After getting back to the pension and taking care of the dogs we spent some time with our friend Nasra and the Japanese backpacker (I think I mentioned them in the other entry on this trip) in Gangneung. I can't think of any reason to go there unless you know someone so I won't bother saying much about it.

The next day went to Jung Dong Jin - the easternmost beach in South Korea. It's popular for sunrises but we got there around noon. It's basically just a walk on the beach. I managed to get into a shouting match with some drunk woman who was mad that one of our dogs was barking.

Then we headed home. Today we realized that I had thrown out my wife's new fancy shoes because she had packed them in a black plastic bag and asked me to take out the garbage as we were leaving the pension. Luckily they had the shoes so we're getting them back. I'm in trouble anyway, of course.

Vacationing to where you might buy a home

This article on vacationing in a development where you're thinking about buying caught my eye because my wife and I sometimes talk about buying a cheap house in the country somewhere so that we can split our time between the city and the country.

In this article they list some developments in America (mostly) that have vacation packages for potential buyers.

This is the only one that was free and there are strings attached:

Ultimate Escapes Residence Club: Three nights at choice of luxury homes around North America, free -- for "qualifying" guests who used competitive accommodations at least 14 days in the past year

I don't even know what "competitive accommodations" means.

In Sokcho and Connected again

I should have a proper blog entry for you soon. I missed a couple of days because the "pension" (a kind of fancy motel in Korea) we're staying at, Dog Hill or Dog in Hill depending on which sign you read, didn't have WiFi in our first room.

Now we're moving in to another room and here the WiFi works.

It's been an interesting two days so far. Part of that is because of Dog Hill Pension but most of that comes from visiting our friend Nasra who lives in the area.

Our first night in the area we went out for Sashimi. You pick out the fish, they smack it with a baseball bat, and then they slice it up and serve it to you. My wife picked a Sea Bream. It was caught in the ocean (not farm-raised) so it was expensive for a small fish. My wife talked them down from 80,000 KRW to 70,000. I'm guessing that's around $60.

You eat in a small restaurant that looks very cheap: dispoasable wood chopsticks, disposable plastic table cloth covers, toilet paper instead of napkins (the norm in Korea actually in less expensive restaurants), etc. But they give you the fish you picked out, some blue fish sashimi, some seafood soup, and some lettuce.

The Sea Bream, or Porgie (my wife only knew the Korean word so the dictionary gave us these two translations) was a bit chewy but didn't taste fishy at all. Actually a lot of fish tastes much less fishy raw.

That night we tried to watch dexter season 2 on DVD but the DVD in our pension room wasn't working. We called the owners but they said they had no idea how to work it so we were stuck. That would be unacceptable in America but not so much in Korea. Kind of like the military helicopters flying overhead throughout the day. In America I don't see anyone putting up with that but in Korea it's just the way it is.

Anyway, we went to bed before 9:00 PM and slept almost 11 hours. Must be the country air. The next day we met up with Nasra (after taking one of our dogs to the vet). She showed us a great resort where we would love to stay one day called Sol Beach. We checked out their cafe and walked around a bit. We even got our feet wet on the beach and after rinsing them off we dried them with air pressure guns like they have at ski resorts.

We went to a tofu / seafood soup restaurant for lunch where we met up with one of Nasra's friends. Then we went to Seoraksan, one of the more famous mountains in Korea for a cable car ride, some hiking, and a little picnic.

On the mountain we met a Japanese woman backpacking around Korea alone so we invited her to spend some time with us and had dinner plus went to a singing room (we do our karaoke in private little rooms in Korea).

Now it's day 3. We plan on driving to the DMZ after we finish moving into our new room (the old one was really weird so remind me to tell you about it sometime) and then meeting up with Nasra in the evening.

How was the entertainment on your cruise(s)?

This article on the popularity of cruises ends with what I think is a controversial quote:

"Cruises are appealing because they are economical ways to travel, and it's like a five-star resort -- very luxurious, similar to an all-inclusive resort," said Platt. "The cost includes the food, Broadway-style entertainment, and a sense of adventure without moving from hotel to hotel."

Now I like that you can sample a few different types of entertainment on a cruise without wasting money. And I realize that I am kind of picky when it comes to what I'll allow myself to be entertained by. However, on the cruise I just returned from the entertainment was certainly not Broadway-style (except for one night) or Broadway-caliber.

There was a singer / piano player that we went to pretty much every night, Ted White. If it weren't for him most of my family would have been very hard up for entertainment.

Second City, the comedy troop, was good. Jane L. Powell, who advertises herself as the Chocolate Goddess of Love (kind of a surprise to see that sign on the cruise ship) was entertaining. They did have a Broadway-style show and while the singers were talented, the musical didn't really hold together for me. There really wasn't much else I was interested in.

What about on your cruises? Did you find tons of good entertainment or was it kind of slim pickings?

NCL Post Cruise Survey

I got an email today asking me to take a post-cruise survey. I started filling it out but after 10 minutes I was only 25% done and every time I answered a series of questions I saw the percent complete go up by only 1%. I gave up.

I'm not unwilling to tell NCL how my cruise experience was but how much of my time do they feel they deserve? I checked the email but it doesn't say how long the survey should take to complete. Based on how many questions I answered and how I was only 25% done when I quit, I would guess that we're dealing with several hundred questions - that's a pretty serious test from an educator's perspective.

Anyway, I should have some photos and a review coming up but I'm also taking a little trip to a famous mountain and beach here in Korea. I should be teaching my first class tomorrow but the school (and many others) have implemented a new policy that prevents faculty and students from coming to school within 7 days of returning from a foreign country. Oh well, I guess I have to do some domestic traveling instead of going to work...