Freebie Friday: Entrance Fees Waived At Our National Parks

Though the fees aren't high to begin with (with most coming to just $10 per carload of nature lovers),  all freebies are welcome in these recessionary times. Which is why it was welcome news to hear that there will be two more periods of free entrance to those of the US' national parks that charge fees (the majority are free): September 24 (Public Lands Day) and November 11-13 (Veterans Day weekend).

Bryce Canyon (Photo by Frank Kovalchek)

Yes, its a vacation as American as apple pie, and at some of the parks that will be given away for free, too. Concessionaire Xanterra (which operates a number of lodges and restaurants in the parks), will be giving away a free slice of pie for every entree ordered at its Grand Canyon restaurants during these upcoming free periods. It will also throw one free West Rim Sunset tour with the purchase of another such tour. To get these freebies, coupons can be downloaded at the Xanterra site.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for other such giveaways in the National Parks during these periods. Historically, they've been a time of numerous free lectures, tours and workshops.

No More Shoe Strategizing for the Security Line at the Airport

Photo by Paul Stevenson

Yes, that's right, lace-ups and hard-to-put-on boots will soon be all right again, according to Janet Napolitan who was discussing upcoming changes to security policy at a forum in DC this week. Though the US Homeland Security Secretary hasn't set a date for when the shoe rule will be changed at the security lane, she intimated it would be soon.

In past reports by the Government Accountability Office a 2015 deadline has been mentioned for the deployment of shoe scanning devices to airports. Let's hope Napolitano was speaking of a date closer in than that. 

Alas, the TSA doesn't yet have the technology to adequately screen liquids, so the 3-ounce rule for theirs will likely stay in place for some time to come.

For more on Napolitano's statements, click here.

Travelodge Does It Again: Spanish Rooms For Less Than $20/Night This Fall and Winter

Since these sales tend to sell out quickly, I thought it important to give you all a one-day lead. So set your alarm clocks: starting tomorrow, the European hotel chain Travelodge will be selling some 75,000 night stays for either 12 GBP (approximately $19) in Spain; or 19 GBP (about $30). The sale goes on until all the rooms stays are sold out. The period of validity is from September 11, 2011 through January of 2012 (excluding New Year's Eve).

One of the swell things about Travelodge is that its room rates don't move by how many people you cram into the room. And the chain's rooms are smartly designed, so that groups of four can share many of the rooms, thanks to a pull out couch system. As for the decor: while you might not model your own home after it, it certainly ain't bad, consisting of Ikea-like furnishings and space saving fixtures. In case you were wondering: all rooms have private baths.

To book your room, head to Travelodge's website tomorrow. One warning: be sure about your dates and destinations, as there are no refunds on this one.

To Vermont or Not To Vermont?

We opened up our weekly radio show this past Sunday by running an interview with Matt Sitosky, a staff writer for the Burlington Free Press. Sitosky has been all over the Green Mountain State covering Hurricane Irene's floods, but despite the destruction he's seen, his attitude was upbeat. He said that though most of the non-interstate roads in the state had suffered damage, the damage was contained in pockets and these were being quickly dealt with. According to Sitosky, southern Vermont had seen the most damage, but even this area, he thought, would be fixed in time for the tourist onslaught that is "Fall Foliage" season (which starts the third week in September and lasts about a month).

Immediately after the interview ran, I received an angry letter from a listener who felt that Sitosky was doing his state a disservice by giving such a rosy account of the damages. "Not only is it inadvisable to go there [to Vermont], the people doing the repairs are begging people to stay AWAY. Every time they have to stop work to let cars pass, it delays them further in their vital work," wrote Ms. Drummond, a native of Rhode Island. "So for the immediate future, people should NOT drive to Vermont, and let the work crews get things repaired."

So that's the view of an outsider.

Vermont Foliage (photo by Shiran Pasternak)

But Vermonters themselves are being quite vocal about the state's recovery, which they say will be a speedy one. Travel writer Larry Olmstead, who lives in Vermont, has issued a photo-laden plea to tourists not to abandon plans to visit the Green Mountain in the coming weeks and months.

The piece, which is running on Forbes.com, notes that a number of the roads that were affected by Irene are already on the mend, and suggests that would-be visitors head to a special web page the state has set up to notify travelers of road closures. According to Olmstead, the list on the page is much shorter than it was several days ago. And both he and Sittosky note that the trees in the state were not affected by Irene (which drenched the area but no longer packed the high winds that could have stripped leaves).

What's most persuasive about Olmstead's piece? The post-Irene photos he attaches of various touristic areas in the state that are still serene, beautiful and seemingly untouched by the recent hurricane. Yes, of course, the hurricane devastated many areas of Vermont (and that shouldn't be downplayed). But not all. And to stay away in late September will simply cause more devastation there.

To borrow a phrase from Olmstead: autumn is Vermont's "Superbowl", an incredibly important time, economically for the state. I, for one, plan to be up in Stowe, VT in December. If I can get there earlier I will. Bargain hunter that I am, I'm guessing there should be some unusually good deals this fall foliage season there. That may sound mercenary but in this case, bargain hunting, since it means traveling, will help those in need.

Happy Labor Day

No labor for me today.

Hope you're taking a vacation from the usual grind, too.

See you tomorrow!

(Photo by Andrew Osterberg)

Freebie Friday: Free Hotel Nights with Southwest Airlines Vacations

Looks like Southwest Airlines has teamed up with Hyatt for a freebie offer that goes well into the winter. Those time rich folks who can get away for four nights or more, will get a free hotel night when they chose a Hyatt property and pair it with airfare on a Southwest package. Bookings must be made by Sept 22 for travel all the way until Dec 20 (with the exception of a handful of blackout dates). Properties in Florida, Arizona, California and New York are participating in the deal.

As with any package, you should always do some research to make sure you're getting a deal. That being said, Southwest Airlines Vacations historically has offered some of the best value air-hotel packages on the market, I've found.

For complete information, click here.

SWA Vacations is also still selling its "Eat Free at DisneyWorld package. You can find info on that freebie at the Southwest site (see above).

TripAdvisor in the Hot Seat Once Again

The Advertising Standards Authority, the United Kingdom's equivalent of the Federal Trade Commission here in the US, has launched a formal investigation into TripAdvisor's practices. Its doing so at the instigation of some 2000 hotel and restaurant owners who are claiming that reviews on the site have either been falsified, or are defamatory. These organizations are working through Kwikchex, an online reputation defender, according to an article today in The Telegraph.

Was the last hotel you stayed in honestly reviewed on TripAdvisor?

The issues being investigated are two-fold. The first concerns TripAdvisor's practice of encouraging the hotels and restaurants it reviews to feature words of praise that come from the site in their promotional materials. Since these "reviews" are unverifiable, they probably violate ASA's standards of conduct. The second issue gets into semantics and the use of the word "trust" on the TripAdvisor site.

According to Kwikchex, this action in England is just the first of many the company will have to contend with in the coming months, including one in the US possibly with the FTC.

Stay tuned!

Repositioning Cruise Deals for the Taking

It's that time again, cruisers! No, the "hairy chest" competition isn't about to start. I'm talking about "Repositioning Season", the time of year when ships move from their summer to their fall and winter ports. (And cruise lines slash prices to attract customers for the unusually long, skimpy-on-the-port-stop sailings that are necessary to get these big babies into place).

Here's a list of some of the best offers I've seen so far. Before you book any, make sure to research airfares, which may be higher than usual due to the fact that you'll be flying into one destination and out of another.

• Norwegian Sun (9/20/11), 15 nights Copenhagen to Port Canaveral, $599: Those who book quickly will be gifted with $75 shipboard credit. Along with Copenhagen, cruisers will call in Lisbon, Amsterdam and near Bruges (Belgium). I found this price at VacationsToGo.
• Norwegian Epic (10/23/11), 13 nights Barcelona to Miami, for $829: For a brand new ship with numerous entertainment options--Blue Man Group, a bowling alley, a Cirque-style dinner show--this deal ain't bad, especially when you consider that it comes with $100 worth of shipboard credit if you book soon with Cruise Club of America.
• RCL's Voyager of the Seas (10/30/11), 13 nights Barcelona to New Orleans, for $669: Another offer from Vacationstogo (see above).

These are just a few of the deals out there for 2011. If you're interested in 2012 repo cruises, head to CruCon Cruise Outlet which has put those on sale this week. 

Virgin America Adds Puerto Vallarta to Its List Of Destinations & Throws a Sale To Celebrate

This story may seem to have nothing to do with the headline, but...

In March of this year, my family adopted two adorable kittens from a shelter in New York City. As we were finishing up the adoption process, one of the shelter workers casually mentioned that the cats had been airlifted from Puerto Rico. The island has a big problem with feral cats, it seems, and very few people willing to adopt, so the overflow of street cats periodically gets sent to the Big, Welcoming Apple.

 California has the same type of problem with Chihuahuas. Too many cute little mutts of that breed yapping around and not enough residents to adopt them. So Virgin America has been helping with airlifts from CA to, you guessed it, New York where it seems residents are more generous in opening their homes.

The airline wins points in my book for supporting animal shelters in that fashion, and also for pledging to donate $25 for every ticket booked to their new destination Puerto Vallarta over the course of the sale period (which ends September 1).

Virgin gets even more karma points for throwing a real sale of tickets which undercut the competition by $50 or more for round-trips between San Francisco or Seattle and Puerto Vallarta. For all the fine print on the "No Chihuahua Left Behind" sale, click here. Though tickets must be booked soon, flights don't start until December 2.

Oh and how are the kittens doing? They go nuts whenever we play salsa!

Goodnight Irene! Assessing Damage in the Wake of the Storm

Roosevelt Island, NY yesterday; photo by Daniel Berg

Like many of my fellow east-coasters, I spent the last few days hunkered down at home. In the days leading up to the storm, my sister-in-law in Vermont offered us what she thought would be a safe haven at her place. It wasn't a feasible plan so we stayed in New York City where we escaped all damage. Poor Cathy has been dealing with floods and power outages ever since.

She's not alone in feeling the fury of Irene in VT. From what I hear, the historic Weston Playhouse (Vermont's oldest theater) has suffered severe damage and has had to cancel performances for now. The internet is teeming with videos of historic bridges being washed away, cars slamming through roaring rivers in Bennington, and slabs of highway falling into the water.

So what will happen to leaf-peeping season, Vermont's most busy tourist period? The trees were not damaged, according to forestry experts, who are noting that Vermont's problems (the state has been named a federal disaster area) have been due to flooding and not high winds. No trees have been stripped of their leaves, and the extra rain, after a slight drought in the area, will help make the colors even more vibrant apparently. Repairing flooded roads by late September, however, and dealing with other sorts of flood damage, will be the greater challenge. Though State officials are trying to put a positive spin on recent events in light of the looming tourist season, it seems too soon to tell, for sure, just what sorts of conditions visitors will experience when they arrive in a month.

Airline travel was also disrupted and is straining to get back to normal. Because of already-crowded planes as we approach Labor Day weekend, travelers trying to re-book flights cancelled over the weekend are facing serious hurdles, according to the New York Times. If you're in this situation, remember that persistence pays off. A huge number of travelers are juggling changed plans right now, which means that a flight you're being told is sold out may experience some last minute cancellations as travelers re-think their plans. Keep the airline on speed dial, don't take no for an answer and make friends with supervisors. Often accommodations can be made if you're persistent.

For those headed to the beach, the news is mostly good. With the exception of a few badly damaged areas in the Outer Banks of North Carolina (and not all: here's a piece on that area), most East Coast beaches have been re-filled with beach blankets and umbrellas, as I type this, according to USAToday. But because so many would-be tourists are dealing with power outages and flood damges at home, many beach areas are reporting last-minute cancellations. This may be the year to score a deal over Labor Day as a result.

But if you're headed to a beachy destination via cruise ship, be ready for some itinerary changes. The Bahamas saw some serious damage with Irene, and most ships are re-routing from calls there. For a current list of changes and other hurricane-related cruise news, head to CruiseCritic.com's "Hurricane Zone."

September and October are the height of the season for hurricanes, and experts are predicting a particularly volatile fall. My guess is that Irene was just the coming attractions. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Freebie Friday: Free Caribbean Weddings (Kinda)

Would you take a longer honeymoon to get a free wedding ceremony? Sandals Resorts is hoping that "I would" will translate into a lot of "I Do's". Its offering a free wedding ceremony, its "Beautiful Beginnings" package, to those guests who stay six nights or longer in a "Concierge" level room (or higher).

The package, with accoutrements designed in partnership with wedding guru Martha Stewart, includes a two-tiered cake, the venue, the services of a wedding consultant and officiant, paperwork for the wedding, one photo, sparkling wine and hors d'oerves for the couple and up to two guests after the ceremony, an additional special dinner for two later in the honeymoon, a bouquet for the bride and boutonierre for the groom.

Obviously, this isn't the package for couples hoping to have a big blowout wedding with many guests. But if your plan is to elope effortlessly with your honey, well, this one could do the trick.

The offer is being listed as good for a "limited amount of time" which usually means through hurricane season (my guess: through December 15). For more details, head to the Sandal's website. 

Warnings, warnings and more travel warnings

As big, bad Irene continues to the menace the US, newspapers are filling with extensive warnings about travel cancellations. What's most important for flyers to realize is that even if your plane isn't flying to or from the zone affected by Irene, you may still experience delays and cancellations. With the airlines stretched so thin (ie fewer planes in the sky), planes grounded by the storm may not make it out of the region in order to fly safer routes. The takeaway: if you're supposed to be flying anywhere from a US airport in the next three days, be in constant contact with your airline.

(Photo by StarMaster)

Bedbugs on the rise again
SeattlePi.com is running a disturbing article on the increasing threat of bed bugs to hotel guests. Worst infestations are apparently in Myrtle Beach, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. The best article I've read on what to do if you suspect your hotel room may be buggy ran about a year ago in the Washington Post. Click here to read that informative piece (and view the video on checking your room for bed bugs).

Train Issues in Europe
French workers, in a dispute over pay, are threatening a strike which would impact Chunnel itineraries this weekend. If you're scheduled to travel between France and the UK this weekend, be sure to keep on top of the news, or you may spend more time than you'd like in a train station.

The First Big Hurricane of the Season Is Upon Us! Some Travel Advice

On last weekend's radio show, my father and I got a call from a listener who was nervous about tangoing with Irene. She was set to head to Florida later in the week, and was concerned that she was placing herself in the path of a hurricane.

Reader: we muffed the question. Unlike other call in radio shows on which the hosts know the questions in advance (ahem, Car Talk on NPR!), we have no idea what's going to be thrown at us until minutes before we have to talk (a computer screen displays the callers name, hometown and one sentence on their question).

My father and I told the caller that only she could make the decision about whether or not to go, and that, since Irene's path was still uncertain at the time of the call, we'd probably go ahead with the vacation.

 Here's what I wish we'd said:

• Get insurance! Of course, you can't buy it once a storm is announced. But if you're ever planning to venture into the hurricane zone during storm season, its a good idea to protect yourself. Know, however, that insurance only works to a certain extent. If, say, the lovely pink sand beach at the hotel you've chosen is swept away by a storm, along with all the sheltering palm trees, but the hotel itself is still standing and operating, you may not be able to get your vacation money back. Insurance doesn't cover the "quality" of the vacation just whether or not its doable. And don't insure your airfare for the reason below.
• Be in close contact with your airline: They don't want to fly into the path of a storm any more than you do. Inevitably, when storms are announced, airlines allow passengers to change tickets without penalty. Here's a round-up of airline policies regarding Irene. 
• Choose your island/destination carefully: Historically, the Bahamas have been hit with the most storms over the years and it looks like Irene is going to wallop them once again. Conversely, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Margarita, in the Caribbean, lie outside the storm zone and haven't been hit with a hurricane in decades.
• Choose a cruise over an island vacation: Mother Nature is not as fast as our modern cruise ships, all of which can outrun storms. Because of this, no major cruiseline has been caught in the eye of a storm for decades. That doesn't, however, mean that they're foolproof at this time of year. Just this week, Royal Caribbean managed to strand 145 passengers in Puerto Rico when it left port 8 hours early to get out of the path of Irene. And don't choose to cruise if you're doing so to hit a particular island: cruise lines change their itineraries when storms materialize, as has happened with Irene. 

Last year, was a particularly bad season for hurricanes, the third worst on record. Meteorologists are predicting that 2011 will be just as fierce. Forewarned is forearmed!

Pre-Vacation, Virtual Friendships for Group Tour Participants?

Group tours are an indisputably social experience---and that's part of the reason many travelers choose them. But most people wait to make friends until they start the tour...until now, that is.

(Photo by Karen Blumberg)

Industry blog Tnooz is reporting that the large, well-established Trafalgar Tours is experimenting with social media tools to allow tour participants to interact before they ever set foot in a motorcoach. During the express check-in process, travelers will have the ability to create an online profile and contact other members of the group they'll be traveling with to exchange information, or perhaps just chat. Only other members of the tour group will be able to see these posts and receive inquiries.

Apparently, this social media experiment was given a test-run on some of Trafalgar's Italy tours this past summer and will be expanded to other destinations come fall.

What will be the outcome? Your guess is as good as mine.

Perhaps it will allow travelers to share rides to the airport and plan activities for the tour's downtime. Or will this become a tool to suss out exactly who the really annoying guy will be on this tour (and there's always one, isn't there)? Though knowing that in advance may not add much to the one's anticipatory enjoyment....

Ah, the Pandora's Box of social media. It'll be fascinating to see just how this experiment shapes the group tour experience.

A New Site Helps Travelers Suss Out The Best Hotel Deals For Those Who "Bid Blind" on Priceline

(Photo by Hobvias Sudoneighm)

To misquote Gertrude Stein: A bed is a bed is a bed.

When it comes right down to it, the differences from one hotel to the next can often be quite superficial. One might have cooler decor, another a Starbucks in the lobby and a third a front desk staff that doesn't seem harried when one checks in. But in its essential function, by which I mean as a place to sleep, often a wide range of hotels in each destination serve the traveler equally well.

Which may be why Priceline.com, which allows travelers to save large amounts by "bidding blindly" on hotel properties, remains a success story in the travel industry. The big bugaboo with the site has always been users nervousness about overbidding. Since its uncertain what the hotel one will get is, how the heck does one know what to offer?

In the past I'd recommended the site BiddingforTravel.com, where users spilled the beans about what they paid on Priceline and which hotel they snagged.

But it looks like a better site has come along. Not only does BiddingTraveler.com let buyers in on the kinds of savings that Priceline is offering, and the hotels its consistently using, but it also manages user's bids. Consumers enter both a "lowball" bid and a "final offer" (these are done with the advice of the site). The site then submits these offers, raising the bid in small implements until its accepted, or the price limit is reached.

The savings can be tremendous. In New York City, for example, BiddingTraveler is showing that the Sheraton Tribeca was recently snagged for $130/night on Priceline, despite the fact that its retail price on competing, non-blind websites is $217. For Paris jaunts, travelers have been scoring rooms at the Meridien Etoille Hotel on the Right Bank for $118; those who went to other sites paid $183 for those same rooms.