Apr

21

Travel Rights on Air Flights

April 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Here’s a link to the Dolans.com Straight Talk on Money audio on decreasing your chances of geting bumped, and on your rights as a bumpee. “Despite what they want you to think, airlines don’t have you completely under their thumb! Get the straight scoop on your rights as an air passenger, including exactly when an airline does and doesn’t have to compensate you, the best way to almost guarantee you won’t get bumped from an overbooked flight, and more!”

Jan

17

Hotel Drinking Glasses

January 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Watch this video clip by Dahlia Rideout about The Hidden Truth behind Hotel Drinking Glasses. You may decide never to drink from one again. I found it on the Divine Caroline site.

Jan

3

Integrated Media

January 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The New York Times Frugal Traveler series is a great example of integrated travel writing: articles, video, slideshows, readers’ comments/responses, and even a soundtrack. Good examples for those of us who are looking for new ways to market our work.

Dec

29

Innovative Cultural and Philanthropic Travel

December 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment

“If you have been wondering how you can make a difference and ‘give back’ while you travel and explore this extraordinary world of ours, this is your chance. Your grace, interest, and generosity as a traveler will impact the lives and the future of the people you meet. Don’t miss the opportunity—come along on a life-changing experience with The Cultural Explorer. Call us at 415-387-1335.”

Check out the Making a Difference trips, special two-week, hands-on tours that give you the opportunity to get involved and make a difference while you explore and learn about South Africa.

Read the full post . . .

Dec

6

Helium Elite

December 6, 2007 | Leave a Comment

This from Easy Going: “Just in time for holiday gift-giving (or getting), Delsey introduces the leather-accented Helium Elite collection.”

I assume these high-end travel bags are at least as light as helium, but weights are not included in the product specification.

Aug

29

The Complete guide to Finding and Winning Travel Grants

August 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment

“Grants offer key sources of financial support for travelers. Winning a grant is an inexpensive way to raise funds to enrich your personal, professional, and spiritual life.”

Check out this helpful how-to article at Brave New Traveler. While you’re at it, have a look at the rest of the site, which publishes “thoughtful and entertaining articles exploring travel in the 21st century” and “focuses on topics like green travel, photography, writing, politics and culture.”

Aug

29

“Clear” Airport Security Fast Pass Program Launches at SFO

August 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Thanks to Karen Misuraca for sending this. Sounds like a good story idea; certainly worthy of an opinion piece!

“Clear, a service provider of registered travel lanes, will open Sept. 6, 2007 at San Francisco International Airport in Terminals One and Three. Hours of operation will be 5 am to 10 pm daily. The service will be expanded to the International Terminal in the fall. Operational since July 2005, Verified Identity Pass’ Clear program has more than 59,000 members. Already operational in eight airports, the service relies on iris imaging, fingerprint imaging and I.D. document authentication equipment to allow members expedited access to passenger screening at security checkpoints. For more information, visit www.flyclear.com. Media contact: Cindy Rosenthal, Clear, 212-332-6306.”

Aug

20

Travel Photography Update

August 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Loved the Sunday, August 19, Washington Post travel section, which included annual photo contest winners as well as:

  • A comparison of four photo-hosting Web sites.
  • A look at innovative ways to use your photos, instead of confining them to online galleries or musty albums.
  • A review of a nifty new doodad that’ll help put you in the pictures you’re taking.
  • A report on disposable digital cameras and the quality of their prints.

Aug

20

“Freegan” dining

August 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment


“Alex Renton rides shotgun with a band of eco-minded ‘freegans’ who plunder the bins behind the local M&S for gourmet foods. But how ethical is it? And can you get enough for a dinner party? Read more from Alex Renton and have your say about the article on our blog.” Since I don’t see a permalink, I’ve included the entire article below. Great example of “voice.”

Sunday August 19, 2007
Observer Food Monthly

I’m chopping an onion for the tomato and beef ragu and shouting happily to Ruth: ‘This and a bit of olive oil are the only things in this entire meal that were bought!’ But she sniffs and says: ‘Have you really thought through the ethics of this?’

Read the full post . . .

Aug

5

San Francisco Hotel Updates and Upgrades

August 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment


If you think the San Francisco hotel scene is changing too rapidly to keep up with, you’ll want to thank Diane LeBow for forwarding this information (dated July 31, 2007) from the SF CVB:

Name Changes and Recent Sales Change Hospitality Landscape

San Francisco tourism industry insiders say the sale and “reflagging” of San Francisco hotels is at an all-time high. Here’s a short summary of changes that have occurred within the last 12 to 18 months and/or about to occur:

Best Western Hotel California
Former name: Hotel Savoy
Location: 580 Geary St., 94102
415-441-2700
www.hotelca.com
Rooms: 82
Remodel budget: Not disclosed
Media contact: Dave Severson, 415-869-4102, dave@hotelca.com
Renamed The Hotel California in the fall of 2006 and currently called Best Western Hotel California; all guestrooms and public areas remodeled in summer 2007.

Read the full post . . .

Jun

1

The Cultural Explorer

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Interested in traveling to Africa? Then don’t miss The Cultural Explorer, which specializes in off-the-beaten-path itineraries. In 2007, there are two Make-a-Difference tours (one departing in September and one in October) on which you meet with “entrepreneurs, interact with the local children, visit schools, teach in a orphanage, assist health care workers, observe animal rescue, and experience life in the townships.” For 2008, there’s a tour that combines animals and art, and sounds absolutely wonderful.

Read the full post . . .

Jun

1

One Bag

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I found this link to One Bag in The Cultural Explorer newsletter. The One Bag site includes tips and products to lighten your packing load, and has won several awards. I like the section on “bundle wrapping,” the description of how to use squat toilets, and the author’s recommendation about characteristics of the best travel bags.

Jun

1

Travel Products

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I found this link to Travel Products.com “Products for Better Travel” in The Cultural Explorer newsletter.

Jun

1

The Wayfarers

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

The “Trusted Adventures” family (which includes Austin-Lehman Adventures) has added The Wayfarers, which specializes in walking tours. “Specialists in walking vacations since 1984, The Wayfarers is committed to providing inspired options for the very best of travel on two feet. Freedom of spirit and a passion for adventure set the scene. We seek out expert local walk leaders and put the focus on exciting itineraries featuring diverse landscapes, gracious lodging and delicious regional cuisine. Affordable pricing covers all accommodations, ground transfers, meals on itineraries, wine with dinner, entry to specified museums and historic sites, lectures and events.”

Jun

1

Eclipse Info

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From the Travel Quest site I found Jay Anderson’s website, eclipser, “devoted to eclipses, transits, occultations and other astronomical events in which weather conditions play an important role. In this site you can check out the average cloud conditions for your favourite star party, find a detailed map for a solar eclipse track, check the weather for an eclipse, transit, occultation or other event, or just mull over the monthly cloud conditions around the globe.”

Jun

1

Amazon Travel Store

June 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

The Amazon Travel Store (yes, that Amazon) offers savings of “up to 75% on last-minute cruises! All lines, all destinations;” an RSS feed for travel discounts; and discounts on travel magazines and luggage; as well as non-discounted travel books, guides, gear, DVDs, videos, etc.

Apr

24

Indagare

April 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founding editor of Town & Country Travel, left last summer to launch Indagare, “a Web site, newsletter and community where the world’s most sophisticated travelers can research trips and share their discoveries.” The teaser site is up now, and launch is scheduled for next month.

Apr

19

Earworms: the new “Musical Brain Trainer”

April 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Earworms language training gives you “200+ essential words and phrases anchored into your long term memory with great music.”I listened to the free one-minute demo for Italian, and it sounded like it would work.

From a press release: “I’d like to introduce a new and unique language learning concept thats causing a small storm in the UK/US press and media — and recently featured on BBC TV (for innovative products).

“The pefect companion for today’s traveller, the product itself is an audio CD with accompanying phrase-book, the system is one that’s easy to use, convenient, motivating (through real rapid progress), highly effective and great fun.

Read the full post . . .

Apr

16

TravelBlogger.com

April 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[ClickPress, Sat Mar 03 2007] “TravelBlogger.com solidified there [sic] position today as one of the best travel blogging sites on the web by unveiling an updated site design featuring an all new layout, high quality video uploading capabilities, an advanced Google mapping system, and automatic contact uploading from a personal email account in a single click.” Is there a there there?

The site lets you post your travel journal and photos, and browse through other people’s uploads. You can also network with other travelers (there’s a social networking section on the site), book a hostel or tour, and buy travel insurance.

Apr

16

Cultural Escapade

April 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Serena Bartlett recently self-published Oakland: The Soul of the City Next Door, “an ‘urban-eco travel’ guide. It is the first guide in our company’s City Next Door Series, inspiring people to look to their own stomping grounds for adventure and cultural experiences, all of which can contribute to the longevity of the planet and the development of strong community.”

Read the full post . . .

Mar

15

The Practical Nomad on finding one’s way

March 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment


Edward Hasbrouck, the Practical Nomad, discusses orienteering in a foreign language; risk, trust, and humility; and the one question never to ask when you’re lost in a foreign country.

From the Practical Nomad Newsletter: Amazing Race 11, Episode 4

Petrohue (Chile) - Puerto Montt (Chile) - Punta Arenas (Chile) - Ushuaia
(Argentina) - Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)

Navigation is one of the few major challenges that real-world travel around the world and “The Amazing Race” consistently have in common. This week, the racers were given a compass, a map, and a destination (a building, although they didn’t know whether it was a well-known one), and had to find their way to that destination through the central business district of Punta Arenas. Independent travellers who aren’t being led everywhere by a tour guide face challenges like this every day. For the sake of reality the racers ought to have a major challenge like this at least once every season, although so far as I can recall this was only the second time in eleven seasons, and the first for any of these contestants.

This season’s cast of racers made the typical compass-reading mistakes I talked about in the first season, when the racers (including Team Guido) were in the desert in Tunisia. Once again, some of this group followed the wrong end of the compass needle, and started out in exactly the wrong direction.

Eventually, though, they all find their way to their goal. And therein lies a lesson.

Making your way through a city as a tourist isn’t like following a carefully planned wilderness orienteering course. Metal objects in your pack and on the street, and tall steel-framed buildings around you, can throw off even the best magnetic compass. Maps designed for tourists are among those most likely

Read the full post . . .

Mar

2

Around the Bloc

March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Here are Stephanie Elizondo Griest’s tips for traveling in communist/post-communist bloc countries. Her books look good, too.

Mar

1

Podcasting for Fun and Profit

March 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

OK; podcasting for fun — no profit in sight. I made (did? produced? broadcast?) my first podcast on Tuesday. It’s like live radio — callers can ask questions live, on the air — but because it’s distributed via the web, your audience is worldwide rather than regional. My show was an interview with Dr. John Harte from UC Berkeley — who studies the interaction of humans and climate change — and Dr. Ross MacPhee from the American Museum of Natural History in New York — who studies the extinction of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island in the Russian Arctic.

Read the full post . . .

Mar

1

iTunes Travel

March 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Thanks to Gayle Keck for forwarding this info from a press release:

“iTunesTravel.com will revolutionize the way people research hotels, resorts and vacation destinations. Historically hotels controlled the available images of their properties by carefully staging photo shoots and limiting the availability of pictures. Brochure photos are tightly cropped and arranged in a manner that can often be misleading.

“iTunesTravel.com peels away the curtain to showcase exclusive and extensive free video footage of

Read the full post . . .

Mar

1

Geogad

March 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Georgi Dagnall at Geogad — your personal mobile tour guide: “Geogad Mobile Tours guide you around popular travel locations with images and audio narration. The tours can be downloaded for free to your [computer or] MP3 player.” The company is “always interested in collaborating with others to create new tours with new focuses.” They’re currently working on a wiki about Jack the Ripper’s London.

keep looking »