When the National Geographic Society surveyed 18- to 24-year-old Americans in 2006 to find out what they knew about the world, only 37 percent could find Iraq on a map, despite the fact that U.S. troops have been in that country since 2003, according to the Harvard alumni magazine. Places closer to home didn't fare much better: 50 percent couldn't locate New York, the country's third largest state.
I'm determined to teach my children that there's a world outside their own community. Travel can certainly help with that but I'd also like them to be able to look at a map and identify states, countries, continents, oceans. I have come up with some ways to do this and in the next few blog posts I'll be highlighting those.
Here's my first tip: National Geographic Kids has this great online game that allows children to become "GeoSpies" by correctly identifying countries, continents, states, and provinces on a world map. It's also a great way for adults to brush up on their knowledge. Click here to play
In less than two months my kids get a week off from school. Spring break!
We're planning to head East for a whirlwind tour of our nation's best big cities. We'll fly into Boston, head for New York, and then end up in D.C.
As usual we'll be traveling on a tight budget. But how tight should we make it? $150 a day? $200 a day? This needs to cover food, lodging, activities, and transportation.
I have always wanted to visit Oaxaca, the southern Mexico state stretching between the mountains of Chiapas and the Pacific Ocean. The rich moles sauces, the colonial capitol, the ancient ruins, the lazy beach towns--all of these things have called out to me.
After a friend brought her two children to Oaxaca the city and told me about taking a cooking class, I started to think about bringing my kids. And then I read a story highlighting Oaxaca's many kid-friendly attractions in the San Francisco Chronicle and now I'm convinced I must go. When? Not sure. But it has officially been put on my "places to go list" and moved above Iceland, India, and Morocco.
"It turns out that this place of endless diversions for adults also provides endless distractions for children, especially those with a love of pyramids, dolphins, chocolate, clay and monsters," David Frey writes in the Chronicle article. "Bonus points: They just might learn something about the culture without ever seeing a classroom."
Frey brought his 8-year-old twin boys to the state and writes about watching an explosion of fireworks over the city of Oaxaca, visiting a village where the children playing with clay at a pottery shop and learning to weave at a weaver's workshop, running up the stairs to the top of an ancient pyramid, and spotting turtles and dolphins at the beach.
Truckee was once a place you stopped to fill up your car with gas on the way to one of the many ski resorts that circle Lake Tahoe. But now skiers are staying over night in this small town, located about 30 minutes from Reno.
With a handful of great places to bed down, a happening restaurant scene, and a main drag lined with old Western facades, Truckee offers more charming delights than you'll find at any of the ski resort villages.
My family recently spent two days in Truckee, and we discovered a great places were travelers can stay, play, and eat.
Stay: With feather beds, an outdoor hot tub, and free hot breakfast, the Best Western Truckee Tahoe Lodge provides comfort and value. At the front desk you can buy discounted lift tickets for nearby resorts such as North Star and Squaw Valley.
Play: Twenty minutes south in Soda Springs, Royal Gorge Cross-Country Ski Resort offers some 200 miles of trails that spread across 10,000 acres of mountain, forest and meadow. For families, it's a great alternative to the nearby downhill resorts that are spendy and often crowded. The kids camp is only $75 and includes a full day of instruction, lunch and rentals. Access to the trails are free for children 10 and under.
Eat: Downtown's Donner Pass Road is chockablock with restaurants but Moody's Bistro is the rowdiest and most refined of them all. The nightly changing menu features dishes such as homemade gnocchi drizzled with truffle oil and roasted Fulton Valley chicken, and the food is so good that it got a write-up in The New York Times. But peope aren't only coming here to eat. They're also pouring into this former hotel to hear live music; Paul McCartney has played here not once, but twice. And on Sunday, this is a hot spot for families as dinner is served family-style--$30 per adult; $15 for kids 12 and under.
We're in the midst of our second trip to the snow this year, and I've learned a few things when it comes to kids and ski gear:
1) Dress kids in layers: Children are miserable when they're cold--and when they're hot. Dress them in layers. On the top, put them in a long underwear top, a wool sweater or fleece shirt, and a waterproof, well-insulated ski jacket. On the bottom, they need waterproof pants or bib tops, and likely a pair of long underwear.
2) Wool socks are a must: Tiny toes freeze without them. Soft, thin wool socks are most comfortable. Never double up with two pairs, or else they'll end up with blisters.
3) Pack two hats per kid: Wool ski hats get lost--on the trail, during lunch at the lodge--and you don't want little heads going uncovered.
4) Gloves, not mittens: This is one of the most important purchases. Buy your kids a quality glove that's well-insulated and fits well so they can easily hold onto their poles. You want a glove that's big enough so they can easily slide their hands in without mom and dad's help, but you don't want it so big that it falls off on a steep downhill. Wool mittens don't do the job.
5) Don't forget sunglasses and sunscreen: You need this stuff at the beach, and on the slopes. Sun reflecting off the snow is bright and powerful.
I don't remember the first time I saw snow, but I have seen the photographs of my parents pulling me around in a sled when I was about 1 year old.
But I will never forget my first trip to the snow with my kids. My daughter, Paris, was 4 and my son, Dante, 3. We were in Idaho and drove the kids to Galena Lodge, a community center outside Ketchum where you can rent cross-country skis and sleds, or sit inside sipping hot chocolate by a roaring fire.
Paris loved the snow. She rolled around in it like a frisky cat. She stuffed her mouth with snow, made snow angels, and happily tried sliding around on a pair of mini skis.
My son hated it. We set him down in the snow and he screamed. He didn't like the crunching sound his feet made when he walked. And he was miserably cold.
This weekend we watched another child see snow for the first time. We were in Truckee, Calif., just outside the famous Squaw Valley ski resort, for the weekend with a classmate from Paris's class.
When Lily first spotted the white stuff from the car she said, "It looks like there's whip cream everywhere outside."
Lily was so excited to run outside and touch the cold snow. She put a huge handful in her mouth. The kids built snowmen and had a snow ball fight, and the parents took lots of photos so it's a day they can remember.
Do you remember your first time in the snow? Or your children's first visit?
When my daughter, Paris, was 3-years-old a friend gave her a children's book about the artist Frida Kahlo. Paris was struck by Frida's haunting paintings and sad life story. After reading the book some 50 times, I called the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, only 2 miles from our home, and asked, "Do you have any paintings by Frida Kahlo in your permanent collection?"
The answer was yes and a few hours later my daughter and I found ourselves at the museum in search of a woman with handlebar eyebrows.
Paris spotted her first. "Frida!" she screamed. "Frida! That's Frida!" Others in the gallery smiled and seemed impressed by this shrimpy toddler identifying one of Frida's world-renowned self-portraits. But of course, one person looked annoyed at Paris who was destroying the gallery's sanctuary-like quality.
We returned to the museum again and again to see Frida. An annual pass alleviated the pressure to get our money's worth and stay for hours on every visit. Paris and I often dropped by to see Frida for 10 minutes. Other times we browsed the entire permanent collection (Wayne Thiebaud's painting of cakes was another favorite).
And then one day we dropped by to say hi to our friend and she was gone. "Where's Frida?" Paris sobbed. "Where's Frida? I want Friday!" (Frida was getting ready for a traveling exhibition that would eventually make its way to San Francisco.)
Did the museum seem kid friendly on these visits? Well, yes there were changing tables in the bathrooms and a corner devoted to toys and picture books in the gift shop, but what really made the museum meaningful for Paris was the fact that I had read her a book about an artist whose work was on display. At the time, I didn't feel like the museum was reaching out to us; I felt like we were reaching out to the museum.
And then on one of our visits a museum employee directed us to the Koret Center on the second floor. Paris walked into a room with "real" ballerinas wearing "real" tutus--and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
The ballerinas were posing for kids and their parents who were creating sculptures out of wire and clay. We had stumbled upon a Family Studio and this one was linked to the exhibit Matisse: Painter as Sculptor, which included pieces by Edward Degas who is known for his paintings and sculptures of dancers.
On this day, I learned that SFMOMA has a Family Studio on the first and third Sunday of each month, and admission is always free for families at these events. There are also Family Days in March, June, and October when all San Francisco museums, including SFMOMA, welcome kids and their parents. The programs feature hands-on art projects, gallery tours for the whole family, and a changing lineup of readings, screenings, and performances. The program is typically linked to an exhibit in the museum. During the recent Olafur Eliasson exhibit, an artist who is known for playing with light and color, Paris and I made a kaleidoscope.
Annie Lawson, manager of school, youth, and family programs, is the woman behind all of this. "We know that bringing kids to a museum at a young age can affect how they perceive institutions such as this for the rest of their life," says Lawson, with an undergraduate degree in art history and a masters in visual criticism. "Tons of studies show this." Lawson believes that kids who visit museums develop a deeper appreciation for art later in life and they're more comfortable with it.
Lawson admits that SFMOMA isn't a museum designed specifically for kids with hands-on exhibits and places to run around. But Lawson works hard to make SFMOMA kid friendly and multigenerational. "How many places can you think of in this city where all ages can interact and engage?" Lawson asks. "At our Family Studios, we see kids and parents working together on projects."
When the Frida Kahlo exhibit came to the SFMOMA I brought Paris. We started in the Family Studio where she created three Frida-esque self-portraits and turned them into a flip-it book (pictured above). And then she insisted on making another book. Finally, we made it to the exhibit upstairs, which was packed on a Sunday.
I knew we wouldn't last long because Paris hadn't eaten a thing in three hours--but we worked our way through the galleries stopping to look at a Frida with parrots perched on her shoulder and another with monkeys. Paris seemed tired and apathetic. I was disappointed by her mood since she was deeply moved by the artist in the past, even crying when Frida's self-portrait was removed from the museum.
And then as we were leaving, Paris looked at me and said, "I'm glad Frida came home." Those words were enough to assure me that our many visits to SFMOMA did mean something to her.
Have you taken your kids to an art museum? Please share your experiences.
A recent story in the NY Times tackles the stressful, overwhelming experience of packing for a family ski trip--which usually occurs when mom and dad are in a frenzied state trying to hit the road on Friday afternoon before traffic gets too bad.
Bill Pennington, who claims to have performed the pack/unpack/pack operation maybe 150 times with his wife and three kids, offers up a handful of tips. I read this story with great interest since our family is planning to go to the snow several times this winter.
Here are few tips pulled from Pennington's article.
Train each person to be responsible for his snow gear. Give each member of the family a bag for their ski clothes and a list of what they need to bring: boots, hat, goggles, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, and so on. "The key to this is getting young children — and doddering adults — accustomed to the idea that all the ski/snowboard-specific items go in this one bag," Pennington advises. (I have always packed for my kids who are now ages 5 and 6, but when we head for the snow next weekend I'm going to put them on the task of packing their own gear. Creating a list seems like a tedious, time-intensive task but I'm willing to try. We'll see how it goes.)
Rent equipment--boots, poles, and skis--before you leave so you avoid lines at the resort. (This seems like wise advice if you're down-hill skiing. The cross-country ski resorts typically don't have any lines.)
Bring two sets of gloves "because the ones used for skiing might get wet and need to be dried by the radiator or fireplace. You will be happy to have additional warm gloves for walking around at night," Pennington writes. (We just spent nearly $200 on outfitting the kids in snow gear so I'm not sure I'm ready to pop for a second pair of gloves.)
Stuff instant oatmeal in your suitcase. "With a dozen instant oatmeal packets, which cost about $4, you can feed the whole family a breakfast on Saturday morning and be on the slopes while everyone else is still ordering in the hotel restaurant," Pennington writes. "Use the coffee maker that probably comes with your room to heat up the water for the oatmeal, bring along some paper bowls and plastic spoons, and everyone gets a nice hot meal that will last until lunch....Yes, it’s not fine cuisine, but who cares if it means you get four runs on unoccupied trails before the hefty morning lift lines build." (This is one tip I definitely won't be following...instant oatmeal is the equivalent of wallpaper paste. It seems easy enough to set the alarm for 7 a.m. and eat a quick breakfast at the hotel, which in many cases is free and included in the rate, and then hit the slopes.)
I have always seen a plane flight as an escape--an opportunity to relax. A flight from SFO to JFK provides a solid block of time to watch two movies in a row, or read the book that has been sitting unopened on my bedside table for weeks.
If you're traveling with kids, a flight offers time to play 100 games of tic-tac-toe, read Stuart Little straight through from beginning to end, and color an entire Snow White coloring book--things I would never do with my children at home because the dishes always need to be washed, dinner needs to be made, the kitty litter box needs to be cleaned. And most often I need to get online to do some work.
I work at home and most of my projects are done through Web-based programs, so when I'm at home there's always this pressure to be online, and I'm constantly fitting in computer time between quick games of Go Fish and fierce lightsaber battles.
But on an airplane that pressure has always evaporated. An airplane was a place where I could relax or focus on my kids for hours and hours...until airplanes introduced wi-fi.
I have been reading all about airlines adding Internet access on their planes but I had yet to actually be on a flight with a connection until a few months ago.
Before boarding the flight, I was looking forward to reading my daughter Pippi Longstocking and watching Word Girl with her on my laptop. But then I got on the plane and the flight attendant made the announcement about the wi-fi...and I began to think, I really should be working....I bet I could get her to do some coloring and I could respond to a few emails and get that assignment done...Argh! My escape was gone.
Last week, Best Western announced that members of its rewards program can now contribute rewards points to the massive relief effort currently underway in the devastated nation of Haiti. Members can go to www.bestwestern.com/haitirelief to make a donation of 5,000 points (which translates to $20), or more to World Vision, Best Western’s official charity partner.
This backpack and rolling suitcase are perfect for young jet-setters' winter travels. You might even be able to get your kids to carry their own stuff.
New York Times Frugal Traveler Matt Gross declared that one of his 2010 New Year's travel resolutions is it to ride more of them. Peter Greenberg wrote that they're a much better way to get around in the United States than trains.
Buses--they're all the rage.
They have always been the cheapest way to travel, but now they're even becoming comfortable. Greyhound just introduced new buses with wi-fi, electric outlets, and plush reclining seats providing tons of legroom. The buses are traveling along the I-95 corridor between NYC and Boston, D.C. and Boston, D.C. and NYC, D.C. and Montreal.
These new buses are also more fuel-efficient and generates nearly 3 times less carbon dioxide per passenger, per mile, than a hybrid vehicle.
Other options along the East Coast corridor include BoltBus, MegaBus, and LimoLiner.
Between Southern California and Las Vegas, you can take Orange Belt Stages, and in the Pacific Northwest, a service called Northwest Trailways travels between cities in Washington and Idaho.
Busjunction.com can help you locate bus services throughout the country.
My memories of downhill skiing with my parents as a child are full of embarrassing moments. There's the time I skied into a tree. The end of my pole hit my eye and I had a shiner the rest of the trip.
There's the time I wet my pants on the chair lift. And the time I fell off the chairlift and a boy from my high school happened to be in the chair behind me. Ugh!
I never took to the sport. I hated the cold, the scary downhills, the long lift lines, the crowded slopes. Yet, I was frequently dragged to the snow because my parents and brother loved to ski and they were good at it.
I decided to introduce my kids to the snow through a different activity: cross-country skiing. It's mellower, less-intimidating, and a much friendlier sport for kids (and I like it).
This past weekend, we made our first big trip to the snow. We rented a cabin with some friends in the Tahoe area that's only four hours from our home in San Francisco. And we planned to spend a full day cross-country skiing.
We opted to ski at Kirkwood, south of Lake Tahoe, because they have a cross-country center with 50 kilometers of groomed trails, equipment rentals, and lessons.
For $48, adults get an hour introductory lesson, a trail pass for the day, and ski, boots, and poles. The price for kids is $25. For our family of four, the total came to $150. If we skied at Kirkwood's nearby down hill resort and put the kids in half-day lessons, we would have spent $330.
Our family started the day with a one-hour lesson. We had the instructor to ourselves. She taught us how to hold the poles, glide across the snow, snowplough down a hill. Simple stuff. My husband and I had skied five years ago so the class was a refresher. The was the kids first lesson and after an hour they could cross-country ski.
After the lesson, a little practicing, and lunch, we skiied the 5-kilometer trail that circles a giant meadow. We glided over gently rolling hills through a snowy expanse surrounded by mountains. "Is this a winter wonderland?" my daughter asked.
The kids easily made it around the trail and near the end my daughter said, "I think I might like to try that downhill kind of skiing, Mommy."
When you're shoveling snow outside your house, it's hard to think about summer. But if you want to visit a national park this summer--especially one of the popular ones such as Yosemite or Yellowstone--you might want to start thinking now. Lodging in and around the parks books up fast, and many travelers make reservations in January and February.
Jeffrey Olsen at the National Parks Service (NPS) told USA Today, "It's always best to book summer trips sooner rather than later. If you've decided on a destination, book it."
Tight security at the New Orleans airport cost one little boy his Christmas gift from Grandma, according to Fox News.
Flying home after the holidays, the TSA confiscated Josh Pitney’s Play-Doh.
"I had the kids and my husband was there with all our bags," Christy Pitney, the child's mom, told Fox. “Josh and I were sitting, getting our shoes on and, my husband kind of motioned to us and said, They took our Play-Doh."
"And the man from TSA was taking every can out at a time and putting it on a table, and Josh saw and he started fussing," Christy continued. "I tried to explain that those were the rules, but it turns out it’s not prohibited on the TSA’s website - so apparently those are not the rules."
Christy is right. Play-Doh is not among the items the TSA has banned passengers from bringin on board.
But plastic explosives can be camouflaged to look like Play-Doh, and a TSA spokeswoman told Fox screeners are told to use their own discretion.
Three bargain ski resorts At these three resorts you’ll find plenty of beginner terrain, deals on children’s lift tickets, and ski schools that teach kids to love the snow.
1) Okemo Mountain Resort, Vt. Okemo calls itself a "family ski resort," and it certainly deserves the title with gentle beginner and long intermediate slopes and an excellent ski school that will put kids as young as 2 on skis. You’ll also find an ice skating rink, sledding hills, and a daycare center that stays open until 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays so parents can enjoy some time off and ski under the stars. What’s more, kids 6 and under ski free, and lift tickets for children ages 7 to 18 are considerably less than adult tickets. Lodging: The Best Western Ludlow Colonial Motel offers special Ski & Stay packages that include lift tickets, shuttle service to the mountain, and complimentary breakfast.
2) Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif. For parents that want to be right there with their children as they make their first turns, this resort offers free Mommy, Daddy & Me lessons for children ages 3 and 4. The instructor will also give parents tips on teaching their kids. Other perks include a snowboard park designed just for little ones, designated “mellow yellow” zones on the ski slopes for beginners, and plenty of snow parks where kids can kick off their skis and build a snowman or throw snow balls. What’s more, kids 4 and under ski free and kids 5 to 12 pay only $30 for two days of skiing. Lodging: The Best Western Truckee Tahoe Lodge is only five minutes from the ski resort and offers ski packages.
3) Winter Park Ski Area, Colo. This unpretentious resort is best known for huge snowfalls, but it’s gaining a reputation for its stellar ski school that takes kids as young as 3, as long as they’re potty-trained. Families also appreciate the large number of green and blue slopes and Discovery Park, a 20-acre ski area designed especially for beginners, complete with warming huts. Kids want a break from skiing? They might enjoy ice skating, sledding, tubing, or snowshoeing. Children 5 and under ski free. Lodging: The Best Western Alpenglo Lodge is minutes from the mountain. After a day on the runs, the family can return to the hotel to soak in the hot tub that fits 14 people.
Three ways to save on family ski vacations With a little planning you can go on a ski vacation that won’t break the bank.
1) Ski at off-peak times. It is usually less expensive (and less crowded) to ski during the week. Avoid holidays—such as President’s and Martin Luther King weekends. Early January, right after New Year’s Eve when kids are returning to school is one of the best times for deals. Another time to score deals is in the spring, just before the snow melts.
2) Go for freebies. Many resorts offer deals where kids ski free. Buy an adult ski lift ticket for five or more days at Steamboat Springs in the Colorado Rockies and you'll get a free 12-and-under child's lift ticket for the same number of days. Look for similar deals at Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor and New Mexico’s Red River.
3) Save on equipment rental. Price out equipment rental on your resort's Web site in advance of your trip. By pre-booking online you can sometimes save up to 20 percent or more off the overall rental cost. Also, look for discounts on SkiCoupons.com and RentSkis.com.
My grandfather lived on the island of Kauai and growing up my family visited for two weeks every December. Every day, we swam in the ocean, wore shorts and flip-flops, and played under the sun until our skin turned dark brown. Christmas was always spent at Mahalapu Beach where we went snorkeling, combed the sand for cowrie shells, and barbecued teriyaki chicken that we folded with rings of pineapple pineapple into sweet Hawaiian rolls. We were warm and happy.
My husband and I have continued the tradition of spending a week or two in the tropics--by cobbling together some sort of package deal, or usurping some relatives' frequent-flier miles. (I'm rather crafty when it comes to putting together trips.) Last year, we were really adventurous and took our two kids to Bali. The year before, I came across an amazing Waikiki package deal. The year before, my brother was conveniently living in Vietnam, and we had enough frequent flier miles to get the entire family there.
Wedding in Mexico, college friend living in Hawaii, aunt residing in the the Caribbean--I always find a reason to visit a place where the palm trees sway and the average temperature is over 75 degrees.
But not this year.
This winter, we're skimping on travel. The Bali trip at the beginning of the year busted our budget, and then there was the 10-year anniversary trip to Barcelona in the summer. We're trying to save some money so we can take the entire family to Europe this summer, and so we decided to not hop on a plane this winter. Instead, we're making a few road-trips to the snow.
Already I'm regretting our decision. Already, I'm going crazy. Already, I'm dreaming of a place far, far away where the air is damp and warm and smells of flowers.
I have had a cold for the past two months. My doctor says it's allergies and I know that it would clear up in an instant on a beach in Kauai, or in Tahiti, the Philippines? I hear Goa is good...
I'm beginning to wonder, is it so wise to save for Europe? Couldn't we just break up those frequent-flier miles into two trips, say Mexico next month, and then we could just go to Maine in the summer.
Is it really worth skimping on travel, especially in the winter, when you live in a house where your thermostat reads 52-degrees in the morning? I'm cold, to my bones, and I could really use a beach break.
It's the end of the year and travel Web sites are assembling their "best of" lists. I especially liked WorldHum.com's best travel videos of 2009 list. So many of us keep the camera running while we're on the road, but how many of us actually take the time to create a finished--i.e., edited--product? These videos are clever, entertaining, and in some cases, laugh-out-loud funny. And they offer a view into some pretty cool experiences. Have you ever wondered what it's like to scuba dive in a newly flooded meadow or climb Mt. Everest?
But I think my favorite video (watch below) documents travelers who are obsessed with collecting frequent-flier miles. These are people who fly places--say Japan--simply to up their mileage count, or they'll fly out of their way to stop in JFK because it has the best airline lounges. The goal: elite status.
Where will you be traveling in 2010? Lonely Planet has some ideas for you. The guidebook company released its latest title, Best in Travel 2010, a collection of the best places to go and the best things to do around the world for the year ahead.
Here's a rundown of the places LP says are hot! hot! hot!
Top 10 countries: El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname, and the USA.
Top 10 regions: Alsace, France; Bali, Indonesia; Fernando de Noronha, islands off Brazil; Goa, India; Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Cambodia; Lake Baikal, Siberia; Oaxaca, Mexico; Southern Africa; The Lake District, England (pictured above); and Southwest Western Australia.
Top 10 cities: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Charleston, S.C.; Cork, Ireland; Cuenca, Ecuador; Istanbul, Turkey; Kyoto, Japan; Lecce, Italy; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Singapore; and Vancouver.
Top 10 value destinations: Iceland, Thailand, London, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, India, Bulgaria, Kenya, and Las Vegas.
An excerpt from a recent article in The New York Times on why January is the best month for travelers:
January may be the best time of year to take a vacation, as passenger traffic drops and resorts, airlines and cruise companies all roll out deals. Yet the start of the year is often overlooked when it comes to vacation planning: families return to school schedules and New Year’s reveling is traded for resolutions of eating in, working out and spending less. And it’s no wonder. People are tired, or broke, or dreading the thought of getting on another plane.
“You could call it vacation fatigue,” said Evan Eggers, president of the cruise vacation site SureCruise.com. But a lot of travelers are missing out. It’s a great time to travel, Mr. Eggers said, “since you’re escaping the cold and getting a killer deal.”
Just how killer? Discounts range from 30 to 50 percent compared with the holidays and other busy travel periods. Hilton Hotels just introduced a January Sale with weekend rates 33 percent off hotels in North and South America. The average domestic airfare for a weeklong trip departing Saturdays in January is $274 round trip, according to Bing Travel, the Microsoft search engine that predicts airfare prices. That’s down from about $447 on average for Christmas week.
Are you going on a trip in January? Did you score a good deal?
Best Western just introduced its first mobile application, called Best Western To Go. The free iPhone application gives travelers the convenience of booking reservations on the go among other features.
Here's a rundown of what you can do with the new app:
Search and Book: Find and book reservations at more than 4,000 Best Western hotels in over 80 countries worldwide. Program: Create an itinerary and input addresses of attractions and restaurants. Once these have been entered, users can easily find their location using the app’s GPS-enabled map.
Personalize: Capture and categorize favorite locations in specific destinations. Travelers can also upload photos and descriptions to remember the locale.
Socialize: Stay connected with family and friends by sharing an experience, such as a lunch at a kitschy diner or a souvenir purchase. Travelers can push this information directly from the app to their Facebook page, email or to other iPhone users.
We're in the midst of the busiest travel time of the year when people who rarely fly, or have never flown, take to the skies, and airport security signs get painfully long. The TSA—the Transportation Security Administration—wants to provide some clarification and tips for travelers to help speed up those lines.
Here’s some guidance related to the most common questions the TSA has been hearing lately. Please remember that each time the officers have to search a bag or a person, the line slows down.
The 4-1-1 on 3-1-1 (Liquids, Gels & Aerosols): If you’re checking a bag, make it easy on yourself and just put your liquids in your checked luggage. That way, you don’t have to worry about 3-1-1. I know that suggestion doesn’t work for everybody. Some liquids are essential and some of you understandably would not like to pay to check your luggage. If you’d rather take liquids in your carry-on, please continue reading…
3-1-1 is the name for our liquid policy. You can read here for more details, but here is the gist of 3-1-1… Each passenger is allowed to take one clear quart-sized sealable bag and fill it with as many liquids in 3.4 oz or less sized containers that will fit, while still being able to seal the bag. Basically, don’t stuff it to the point where it won’t close.
Make sure you take the bag out of your carry-on prior to sending it through the X-ray, or our officers may have to search your bag.
If you have liquids, aerosols, or gels that are used for medical purposes, they do not need to adhere to our 3-1-1 policies and do not have to be placed in a bag. You may be asked to go through a TSA Family Lane (see below) so the TSA can expedite the screening process. The liquids, gels and aerosols will need to be removed from your bags.
Answers to common questions: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz or less, but gel or spray deodorant is. Also, any liquid makeup such as eyeliner should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine.
Family Lanes: Frequent flyers hate it when they’re in line behind a family, and guess what… families hate it when the frequent flyer is behind them tapping their foot and sighing. That’s why the TSA created Family Lanes. They’re designed to let families take their time and ask questions without feeling rushed by the experienced frequent flyers who can zip through a checkpoint in no time. Also, as stated earlier, anybody carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of 3.4 oz may be directed to a Family Lane.
Foods: Pies are permitted, but they are subject to additional screening if our officers see any anomalies. (Additional screening of pies does not include our officers tasting the pie, no matter what they tell you…) Cakes, bread, donuts, turkeys, etc. are all permitted. If it’s a live turkey, you might want to have a word with the airline. Here is a list of items that should be placed in your checked bags or shipped: cranberry sauce, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy (mmm gravy), jams, jellies, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, sauces, soups, wine, liquor and beer.
Gifts: Wrapped gifts may need to be unwrapped. If there’s something in the gift that needs to be inspected, security screeners have to open it. Our officers try their best not to mangle the gift wrap, but it’s not a guarantee and it also slows down the line for everybody else when security has to do this. It is suggested that you wrap the presents when you arrive at your destination. You also have the option of shipping the items as well.Snow Globes: The TSA is not in cahoots with the Heat Miser, but snow globes are not permitted in your carry-on luggage. They are sealed containers full of liquid that would have to be opened and destroyed to test. The TSA is not in the business of busting snow globes, so they suggest you place them in your checked baggage or mail them ahead of time
ID & Boarding Pass Checking & Secure Flight: As you approach a TSA checkpoint, you will see an officer checking IDs and boarding passes. Please have your acceptable ID and boarding pass out and ready to present to our officer. If your ID is in a plastic sheath or other type of holder, it will need to be removed so our officers can properly inspect your IDs. By having your ID and boarding pass out and ready, you’ll help move the line along faster. The several seconds it takes to get your ID and boarding pass out might not seem like much time, but it really adds up when you’ve got people in line behind you.
Also, folks have had questions about the Secure Flight program and whether the name on your ticket has to match the name on your ID. The Secure Flight watch-list matching process occurs before a passenger even gets to the airport so if you get a boarding pass, the Secure Flight watch-list matching process is done. In other words, you are clear once you get that pass.
If you have lost or forgotten your ID, you will still be permitted to fly as long as you help us verify you are who you say you are by answering a few questions for us.
Inconsistencies: You may notice your screening experience at one airport doesn't match the experience of another airport. The TSA realizes this happens, and some of it is intentional. While it can be a little confusing for our passengers, it also makes things unpredictable for those who might wish to do us harm. Our officers also can use their discretion in different scenarios that allows them to use common sense and not abide by a checklist mentality that can be studied and defeated by those who wish to do us harm.
Shoes on Belt: The TSA recommends that you place your shoes on the X-ray belt as opposed to placing them in a bin. Why? It keeps the bins from getting too cluttered and allows our officers to get a better look at items to ensure prohibited items do not get on the plane. It also speeds things up when they get a better view and don't have to stop the X-ray belt for searches.
Author Tim Brookes, honored by the New York Times and Booklist as one of the best travel writers in America, is back.
Already internationally known as a longtime NPR commentator and the author of the hitchhiking classic A Hell of a Place to Lose a Cow, Brookes’s latest travel epic is Thirty Percent Chance of Enlightenment.
Often hilarious, ultimately profound, Thirty Percent Chance of Enlightenment begins when Tim Brookes receives a phone call from his editor at National Geographic asking if he’d like to write an article on weather forecasting—an assignment that doesn’t go as forecast.
Brookes, who directs the writing program at Champlain College, embarks on an adventure that starts in a hurricane on an icy mountaintop in New Hampshire and takes him to India to watch the monsoon come ashore and write about the elaborate, almost mystical art of monsoon forecasting. When the rain begins, however, a series of misunderstandings finds him banned from every single office of the India Meteorological Department.
Before long, his journey turns into a cross-country road trip in search of the true meaning of the monsoon—a trip that takes him through the spice villages high in the Western Ghats, to a Hindu wedding at which all the main participants end up drenched, and leaves him ankle-deep in a holy river where the temple elephants bathe. He discovers the history of the umbrella, the bizarre ritual of rain-inducing donkey weddings, and for his erratic and dusty labors, he ends up being rewarded with a glimpse into the spiritual nature of water.
“It’s one of those journeys,” Brookes says, “where you get so deeply enmeshed in the people and the place and the subject that you become slightly insane. You end up having insights that are either signs of genius or signs of madness. Either way, I’ll never think of weather forecasting or water in the same way again.”
Last week, the New York Times published a guide to affordable ski areas throughout the country--and the paper reports that resorts are skiers with "special deals, cheaper flights and other enticements to lure skiers back." They claim that last year in the midst of the recession, everyone skied mountains in their own backyard--i.e., close to home. But this year things are looking "sunnier" and people are bound to travel again, especially with so many deals.
The paper reports on affordable skiing at Alta, Utah; Aspen, Colo.; Jackson Hole, Wyo., Jay Peak, Vt.; Revelstoke, B.C.; South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Sunday River, Maine; Whistler, B.C.; Winter Park, Colo.; Wolf Creek, Colo. To read up on these places, click here.
Are you making plans to go on a skiing vacation this winter?
I was so excited when I saw the bottles of Tupelo honey for sale at a store in Savannah, Ga.
Some say Tupelo Honey, produced in the South, is the "gold standard" by which all other honey are measured. My husband was doing some work in Florida a few years ago and picked up a jar. For weeks hee spread it on his toast every morning for breakfast.
I immediately bought a bottle--I had found a Christmas gift for a man who is nearly impossible to shop for. Eureka!
Back at the hotel, I stuffed the honey into my suitcase. I couldn't wait to wrap it at home and put it under the tree.
Well, the honey never made it home because I carried on my bag--trying to avoid the $15 fee for checking it. When I passed through security the honey showed up in an x-ray. I had completely forgotten about the liquid rule (you can carry only 3-counce containers of liquid or gel on the plane.)
The security worker pulled the honey out of the bag. "You can't take this on the plane," she said.
"That would have been a great gift!" said my husband, who was practically drooling.
I paid $15 for the honey so I should have checked my bag--cheaper than ordering another bottle online. But at that point it was too late. Our plane was at the gate and there was no time to check our bag and then go back through security. My effort to avoid the baggage fee backfired.
I'm a girl on the go. I travel for fun. For work. With my kids. With my husband. With my girlfriends. For me, traveling is not about luxury. It's about getting out there and experiencing new things. Best Western signed me up because, like me, they want to get people talking about travel. So let's talk! Tell me your travel tales, teach me your tips, and, when the airline loses your luggage, feel free to throw a temper tantrum. Believe me, I understand.
Got a travel question? Looking for an affordable hotel in New York City? Planning a family trip to the Caribbean and want to know which island is best for kids?
Send your questions to onthegowithamy@gmail.com for advice. Questions may be edited for clarity and space.
When the National Geographic Society surveyed 18- to 24-year-old Americans in 2006 to find out what they knew about the world, only 37 percent could find Iraq on a map, despite the fact that U.S. troops have been in that country since 2003, according to the Harvard alumni magazine. Places closer to home didn't fare much better: 50 percent couldn't locate New York, the country's third largest state.
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