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Whether you start your road trip vacation near the Canadian Rockies…
in the desert…
… or along the highway, you do need a good car. Visit the online car hire comparison site Carrentals.co.uk to search for cars and compare results of up to 50 car hire companies including Budget, Sixt and Expedia.
Carrentals.co.uk offers both luxury and budget car hire in more than 4,000 locations worldwide. Their system makes searching and booking convenient and easy.
So far, Car Rentals UK has provided more than 200, 000 successful rentals.
To get directly to car hire in the U.S., head over to http://www.carrentals.co.uk/car-hire/usa.html
For worldwide destinations, visit http://www.carrentals.co.uk/car-hire/world.html
TEXT: Jessica Gross
Trip to Florida: $450
Travel Outfit: $63
Wrinkle free and looking good all day: Priceless
A day of layovers and cramped plane seating and you’re looking to drop off your bags and head to the beach and then on to the bar all in one swift move (and definitely without wrinkles) - what do you wear? Rarely is there one piece of clothing we can travel comfortably on the plane, wear straight to the beach and even head out to dinner afterward in. That’s just the mission of one company, SkirtSports (www.skirtsports.com) - to make functional wear that lets you feel comfortable AND look good while going from the plane at 6AM all day.
Looking good without the need for changing after a full day of traveling has never been this easy, as SkirtSports introduces their Footloose Dress. Set to impress both the ladies and the men this spring, the Footloose Dress features a built-in shelf bra, sexy V-neck, all-mesh panel racerback for comfort and moisture management (crucial for you and those sitting next to you), and a flattering empire waistband.
With travel becoming such a hassle these days, the Footloose Dress, allows for one less thing to think about - what to wear.
Editor’s Note: SkirtSports also offers functional wear suitable for running, cycling, triathlon, tennis and golf. For more information, visit www.skirtsports.com.
Imagine traveling anywhere in the world without the hassles of long delays, flight cancellations or inconvenient layovers. George Khairallah and Michael Thomas, seasoned technology and travel service experts, have created a revolutionary way to fly that taps into thousands of underused airports in the U.S.
The result? JetCombo.com, a concept that allows travelers to combine both commercial and private jet services and land within miles of their final destination. Each year, over 450 million passengers fly through 30 airports in the United States. JetCombo redistributes air traffic to the other 5,400 public airports in the country - so that travellers can fly to all rural areas.
Today, we speak with co-founder George Khairallah to learn more about his brainchild.
E.J: I must say, JetCombo is a terrific concept - being able to fly the long hauls non-stop with an airline, before booking a private plane for the remaining distance to reach your final destination. When and how did you come up with the idea?
G.K: My love for aviation and affinity for technology inspired me to start BusinessJet Class in 2004 and its subsequent retail website, JetCombo.com in 2008. My business partner Michael Thomas and I combined our expertise in a shared vision that opens air travel to all rural areas, providing the convenience of virtual door-to-door service. JetCombo.com, the first and only web site that allows travelers to combine a private flight and an airline flight in a single itinerary, is the first building block towards realizing this vision.
E.J: How has the response been so far?
G.K: We have seen a tremendous response thus far. Over the past three months, web traffic has grown by approximately 470%. Our call volume has also increased by a similar ratio.
E.J: Where are your costumers based?
G.K: Our customers are based throughout the US and internationally.
E.J: What are the advantages of joining JetCombo’s membership program?
G.K: This is a comprehensive program designed for the next generation traveler whose focus is on a triple bottom line:
- The economic focus is in the significant savings even on economy fares; savings that will be difficult to find anywhere else.
- The social focus is on saving precious time to spend with your family and your community instead of airport lounges and airline delays. Executives who fly exclusively private save up to 1 month a year on time otherwise lost. Passengers who combine airline flights with private flights frequently cut their travel time by half, even when they fly the less expensive piston aircraft.
- The environmental focus is our unique strategy to calculate the carbon emissions for every flight you book on JetCombo.com and give you the option to fund existing technologies that soak up or compensate for your flight’s unavoidable emissions.
E.J: If a traveler would like to fly internationally, from Europe to the U.S., can you explain how he or she would make the booking with JetCombo?
G.K: Users simply enter their search criteria - the city name of their true departure and destination points, arrival and departure times, etc. - and Jetcombo.com delivers the most efficient route. Mining a database of aircrafts and operators, including thousands of small jets and hundreds of small props capable of serving rural areas with small airports, JetCombo.com combines private and first-class commercial jet service in a single itinerary.
E.J: What are your views on the environmental concerns many people have when flying?
G.K: With a nod to environmental efficiency, JetCombo.com is the only online booking service to display the carbon emissions for Business and First Class options. Customers also have the unique option to purchase carbon credits to make their flight “carbon neutral.” JetCombo.com also offers users the option to offset the unavoidable emissions caused by their flights by contributing to projects that reduce an equivalent amount of pollution. At http://nextgen.jetcombo.com, JetCombo.com provides an open platform for users to discuss and debate current issues in the aviation community, as well as access the most recent aviation news and statistics.
E.J: With such a great concept, do you believe other companies will follow in your footsteps?
G.K: Similar to cell phones, which originally were a luxury option priced at thousands of dollars, this new concept in travel is following a trajectory from the exclusive to the commonplace. The fact is that 98 percent of the population lives within twenty miles of an airport.
Editor’s Note: For more information, visit JetCombo.com.
Travel solo or in a group?
“Both solo travel or group travel have advantages and disadvantages. You need to decide what choice best fits your preferences. For example, would you prefer the freedom of making all decisions yourself and going where your whim takes you? Or rather let others decide once in a while?”
To read the rest of my latest guest blog, visit Nomadic Matt’s Travel Blog and Guest Blog: Solo vs Group Travel.
Matt is a twenty-something guy from Boston who was on the road for 537 days. Impressing. In the summer of 2008 he will return to Europe before heading back to Asia. Make sure to keep up with his travels and experiences at Nomadic Matt’s Travel Blog. I especially recommend The Saturday City: Bostonand Are Guidebooks worth it?
Don’t miss Matt’s Travel Photos, Travel Videos, Travel Tips and Travel Links including travel blogs, general travel sites, tour companies and flight search engines.
Also, if you have a travel related question, head over to the Ask Matt! section.
Celebrating its three-year theme “Our Agenda: Love. Equality. PRIDE”, The Los Angeles LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) Pride Festival takes place along Santa Monica Boulevard and throughout West Hollywood Park in West Hollywood June 6-8. The message of the 38th annual parade and festival is about taking pride in who you are, your family, your community, and the world around you. Locals and visitors can enjoy the parade, vendor booths, food, exhibits, and live entertainment.
As one of the leading Pride Celebrations in the United States, the annual three-day event brings more pride to West Hollywood - home to Southern California’s largest gay and lesbian population.
The 2008 parade takes place on Sunday, June 8, starting at 11a.m., and will run west along Santa Monica Boulevard from Crescent Heights Boulevard to Robertson Boulevard. On the WaMu® Mainstage, musicians Joss Stone, Olivia Newton-John and Kimberly Locke will headline the event on Saturday and Sunday night.
As a way to honour those who are no longer with us - brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, friends, partners and other loved ones - LA Pride announces its first “Silent Celebration”. The moment of silence shared by nearly 400, 000 parade goers occurs at noon on Sunday June 8.
About 2008 Los Angeles LGBT Pride:
2008 Los Angeles LGBT Pride festival is sponsored by The West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau, along with its partner Qantas Airways.
For more information on LGBT Pride, complete entertainment lineups, and the City of West Hollywood’s gay community, visit http://www.lapride.org/ or http://www.gogaywesthollywood.com/.
Don’t we just love them? The perfect days when everything we do flows easily and effortlessly.
To get rid of vacation stress, unnecessary complaints, and make wherever you are the place to be, read today’s article by lifestyle entrepreneur and bestselling author Marie Forleo.
“5 Ways To Have A Perfect Day”
TEXT: Marie Forleo
Wouldn’t it be nice to have perfect days, every day? As it turns out, it’s not as impossible as some people might think.
Here’s the secret: each day already is perfect. The trick is to become aware of what you do, or don’t do, that gets in the way of experiencing it. In fact, I’m about to share 5 powerful ways you can start having perfect days…starting right now!
1. Surrender to what is.
Having a perfect day is directly related how well you can surrender to what is. Here’s what I mean. Whatever is, already is. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a thought, sensation, feeling or external circumstance. If your printer breaks, your flight is cancelled or you feel bloated from eating too much Chinese food - if the situation already exists in this moment, what’s the use in arguing against it? There is none. Make no mistake: surrendering to what is doesn’t mean that you won’t take action when appropriate. You’ll just skip the typical “inner fight with life” meltdown that gets in the way of your perfect days.
2. Lighten up. Really.
Do you ever notice how serious you get about life? Whether it’s relationship drama, money woes or finding a parking spot, most of us contract like a sphincter the moment life shows up a bit different than we expect. And incase you haven’t noticed, life doesn’t care how you expect it to go. Really. Life does it’s own thing. And let’s not forget, we all end up the same way: dead. Not to be morbid, but since we already know the ultimate outcome, we might as well have a good time while we’re here, right? And frankly, most people I know who have a sense of lightheartedness about life are making a much bigger difference in the world than those who are seriously trying to get through it.
3. Quit complaining.
Is the weather too warm today? Or did someone not return your email fast enough? Most of us complain so frequently and automatically, we have no awareness we’re even doing it! The problem is complaining about anything is a surefire way to un-perfect your day. One important caveat: there’s a big difference between complaining and commenting. When you complain, you victimize yourself. There’s a whiny, negative energy to your communication. When you comment, however, you state an observation in a neutral way. There is no “pity party” or energetic “dig” against another person when you offer a genuine comment.
4. Be dominated.
No, not in that kind of way, naughty girl! Simply stated: Our lives make requests of us each and every day. The phone rings. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded. Taxes must be paid. You can either resist being dominated by what your life is requesting of you OR you can enthusiastically be dominated by your life! I suggest the latter. By allowing yourself to be enthusiastically dominated by what you have to do, you actually get way more done and life begins to run very smoothly too.
5. Make wherever you are the place to be.
Isn’t wild how often our minds disagree with where we are? No matter where we find ourselves, we think we should be somewhere else. When we’re at home, we’re thinking we should be at work. When we’re at work, we’re thinking we should be at home. What if the secret to having a perfect day is to make a simple shift so that wherever you are is always the right place to be? Because after all, you can only be where you are in any given moment of now. Why not make where you are the place to be?
By using these tips to have “perfect days”, not only will you have more well-being, but your business and bottom line will grow as well. Want to get on the fast track to success? Apply for my VIP Private Coaching Program now. If you’re accepted, I’ll give you my proven, step-by-step system to help you make more money, transform your relationships and experience the freedom-based lifestyle you deserve!
Remember, in order to grow any aspect of your business or life, first you’ve got to grow YOURSELF. While these 5 tips are part of the comprehensive lifestyle shift I teach in my products and programs, you’ve got enough to get going right now.
About the writer: Lifestyle entrepreneur and bestselling author Marie Forleo, publishes the weekly ezine ‘The Good Life Secrets’ helping women entrepreneurs be RICH, HAPPY and HOT. If you’re ready to make more money, grow your business and have more fun in your relationships and life, get your FREE advice now at www.marieforleo.com
After enjoying number one non-fiction bestselling success in its first seven weeks of publication, Ruinair continues to sell strongly. The Dublin-born author Paul Kilduff finished novels such as Square Mile, The Dealer and The Headhunter before he decided to write this travel book about the cheap Irish airline.
“Kilduff travels to places he never knew he wanted to go that are probably not quite where he thinks they are and he is not sure what he will do once he gets there, including beautiful Beauvais, cosmopolitan Charleroi, electric Eindhoven, heavenly Haugesund and tropical Tampere… On his miserly pan-European exploration he reveals the secrets of the new travel phenomenon favoured by one hundred million plus passengers annually. And his advice to fellow travellers in the ultimate airport holiday book? - “Don’t get mad, get even - Get a one cent airline ticket.”
Today at Blissful Travel, Paul Kilduff talks about how he got the idea to Ruinair, managed the transition from fiction to non-fiction and have kept his writing career alive for 10 years. He also shares some travel writing tips, reveals his future projects and includes a terrific description of Spanish Seville.
E.J: When did you get the idea to write Ruinair? Had you travelled with low-budget airlines much before?
P.K: I got the idea to write Ruinair when I was marooned in Malaga airport in Spain a few years ago for 10 hours by Ryanair. At the time I was writing fiction so I thought I would write a stroppy letter to their customer service dept and then I later decided to go one better and write a book about travelling all over Europe on the same airline and other budget airlines (none of which I had not used previously), and all for the same total outlay as my fare to Spain which was €300, so not so low fare after all.
E.J: How did you manage the transition from fiction to non-fiction?
P.K: I had written four fiction thrillers for Hodder Headline and then all changed there when they were bought by a French company and my editor left and in all that change they declined my fifth book which in hindsight was a good thing. I still wanted to write and always loved travel so I decided to write non fiction in the travel genre. I was originally thinking about writing a travel book about Germany (everyone else does Spain, Italy and France) but then Malaga airport happened. People say that fiction writers write the best travel books because they can tell a story, can write about characters they meet, can create suspense and can set a scene. The most important thing when moving from fiction to non-fiction is to have a good idea for a commercial book on a topic you like - everything else follows easily.
E.J: What are your tips for aspiring travel writers?
P.K: My tips would be travel as much as you can, observe everything, get off the beaten track, avoid the usual sights and attractions, look for a theme in your writing. Don’t just go see the top 10 attractions and write about them. If you are writing amusing travel stories then pray that something goes wrong because as John Cleese once said of his TV show Fawlty Towers; ‘It’s only funny when something goes wrong.’
E.J: You have kept your writing career alive for ten years, how do you do it?
P.K: It’s easy to do something for 10 years if you enjoy it. I do not see writing as a chore but as a creative outlet, an interest and almost like a hobby although it has its rewards. I think every genuine writer wants, and needs, to write. It’s true that I tired a little of writing financial thrillers so then I changed genres to travel writing.
E.J: We would love to hear about your future projects. What are your plans? Any new book in progress?
P.K: I am presently working on the sequel to Ruinair, which is a book about visiting all 12 new countries of the EU, mostly in Eastern Europe. The book is about 75% complete. So far I have been to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Malta. I have plans made to visit the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Cyprus in the coming months. The book will be called Ruinairski and will be published in Feb 2009.
I am also completing a short book featuring the best quotations from Michael O’Leary, the Chief Executive of Ryanair, called The Little Book of Mick O’Leary’ to be published in late 2008, for example: ‘‘I’m an Irish peasant at heart. I grew up on a farm in the Irish countryside, and now I live on a farm in the Irish countryside. You would impress fucking nobody if you drove to the paper shop on a Sunday morning in your Ferrari. They’d think you were a gobshite. And you probably would be. A big tractor, now, they might be impressed. But it doesn’t get to the shop fast enough for me.’
E.J: I’m curious to know, of all the places you flew with Ryanair, which was your favourite?
P.K: There were many great places I flew to where I expected to have a great time, such as Barcelona, Berlin, Venice and the like, and I did.
However the best surprise for me was Seville in southern Spain which in my book I described reasonably succinctly as follows; ‘Civil Seville represents Europe’s optimal summertime city break destination; a small, efficient and navigable airport with zero delays, a 15 minute public bus ride to the city centre for 2 euros, shopping in Zara Home at Nervion Plaza at a fraction of any Dublin prices, the 4-star Novotel next door with a roof top pool to savour guaranteed blue skies and thirty degrees plus, open-air dining and mazes of tapas bars, a La Liga topping and UEFA Cup winning Sevilla soccer team, new 2-bed townhouses for only 150,000 euros, an open top bus tour which fortunately speeds through the barren remnants of the Sevilla 1992 Expo but lingers amongst the fine international residences of the 1929 Ibero-American Expo, a street tram system so new that it glistens, the inspiration for a hundred operas (Don Juan and Carmen attend the Marriage of Figaro?), tourists from Spain rather than from Essex, the heady aroma of orange blossom, the biggest Gothic Cathedral on Gods earth with a landmark Giralda minaret tower, a mesh of Islam, Jew, Gypsy and Christianity, horse and carriage rides through the religious grandeur, a river cruise from the Torre del Oro down the Gaudalquiver river made famous by that Chris de Burgh song and a two hour walking tour of the achingly photogenic Barrio Santa Cruz old town where the only information imparted by the guide which I dispute is that Seville is most famous for sending all its oranges to the UK to made into marmalade.’
E.J: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
P.K: I was fortunate that I did a day job for several years which allowed me to travel on business within Europe, North America and Asia. However one place I never got to on expenses was Australia and that’s where I would like to go. I have two very good friends from college who live in Sydney and I am sure that they would be amazed/ delighted/ horrified if I turned up on their doorsteps to stay for a few weeks. The one reservation I have is enduring the 24 hours in a plane to get there, but at least the trip will not be made on Ryanair.
Editor’s Note: Ruinair was published in February 2008 by Gill & Macmillan, Ireland, and entered the Irish non-fiction bestseller list at no 1. For more information or to purchase your own copy of Ruinair, visit publishers Gill & Macmillan.
What the press has to say about Ruinair:
”Ruinair is an entertaining travel book based around the destinations you can visit on this much-used but maligned airline. This is a razor sharp travel guide. VERY funny, sure, but be warned, if the book fails to please, there is no refund.” - Sunday Tribune
“This is a thoroughly humorous, witty and evocative book. Kilduff has produced a travelogue every bit as good as McCarthy’s Bar, and one that promises to be a must-read in airports and on airplanes for many years to come.” - Evening Echo.
“It’s chocks ways for a breathless tour of the low-fares revolution. Kilduff has done his homework and displays a keen eye for bizarre detail, settling on the quirks of our European neighbours with touching exuberance. His no-holds-barred style echoes O’Leary himself, which should be a compliment. It’s not half bad. There are worse ways you could while away the wait for your next Ryanair flight.” - Irish Mail on Sunday.
“Kilduff has a neat sense of irony when balancing his own and other people’s discomfort, with the motivation that brings us all back to Ryanair: it’s cheap. He can be a droll and perceptive writer. His dispatches from the hot-spots of Liechtenstein or San Marino are witty and engaging. A quirky study of a modern phenomenon, Ruinair is the ultimate airport book. You may even see it sold on Ryanair flights, if Michael O’Leary can find some way to make a buck from it.” - Sunday Business Post
“Kilduff brings considerable and stylish descriptive powers to the stampede boarding and bussing experience we all know so well. His strength is the variety of destinations he visits including non-Ryanair ones amongst them. This is a 2008 Homer’s odyssey.” - Travel Extra Magazine
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Contest at Just Go! (http://aknickerson.blogspot.com/)
Win a copy of A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome!
How? Read on!
If you happen to be in Rome on May 24, 2008, you will witness a fireworks display designed by Michelangelo. According to Wanted in Rome, the spectacle is to be re-enacted at Castel Sant’Angelo.
“To celebrate the beginning of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s work in the Sistine Chapel begun 500 years ago this May, the elaborate firework display designed by Michelangelo, the so-called Girandola, will be re-enacted on 24 May at Castel S. Angelo.”
Win a copy of A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome!
How? Post ONE photo of the Girandola over at Just Go! http://aknickerson.blogspot.com/
The person submitting the best photo will win a free copy of the book.
Photos must be posted by midnight on May 26, 2008. Winners will be announced next week. One entry per person.
Being a tourist is not always fun. Imagine you are abroad and want to get in touch with a new acquaintance, but not reveal your outside area code or your real phone number.
The solution is called Vumber, a virtual phone number that links to your current phone line. Use Vumber’s two way disposable phone number service and add additional lines to any phone you want with any area code from across the U.S. When you call someone in a new area, he or she will instantly accept you as a local.
You can make and receive anonymous, secure phone calls from any telephone, anywhere. Pick any area code you wish and Vumber will assign you an available seven digit number.
Say you visit New York and want to ‘live’ on Manhattan, choose the area code 212. You prefer Brooklyn or Queens? Opt for 718. Or perhaps you would rather be known as an L.A. resident? Then, you’ll pick 213. The person you call can only see your Vumber, not your real phone number.
At the moment, Vumber is available in Canada and the U.S. They will add international codes by early 2009.
To learn more about this new long distance calling solution, read my interview with Vumber CEO and Founder Cliff Wener.
E.J: How did you come up with the idea of Vumber?
C.W: The most basic idea behind Vumber is preserving privacy in communications. So when a doctor friend of mine asked if there was some way he could avoid having to give patients his private cell phone number, so that he didn’t get calls at all hours of the night, without having to carry two phones, we came up with the concept of a virtual phone number or a Vumber
The best part of it for him is that it really allows him to have two numbers on a single phone and it works like a real phone number - so not only can patients call him on his Vumber, but he can also call them back and the Vumber shows up on their caller ID. It truly allowed him to take control of his personal privacy.
E.J: How has the response been so far?
C.W: The response has been really good so far. Apart from some really good media coverage, our user base has been growing steadily since our launch in January. The real surprise for us has been customer loyalty. We offer a free trial, so we presumed we would get a lot of signups, just looking to test the service - however the percentage that become loyal, paying customers has been much higher than we expected.
Not only that but our customers write us on a daily basis to say how useful they are finding the service - whether they are using it for dating, job searching, apartment hunting or as a second number for business. So it’s been really great.
E.J: What are the future plans for Vumber?
C.W: As a company, we aim to become the first choice in second numbers. With the lines of communication becoming increasingly blurred - from constant internet access, cell phones, ever-expanding social networks and general 24/7 availability - protecting your privacy is more important than ever, not to mention the fact that identity theft is a very serious problem - which means that giving out your phone number to the wrong person can have serious consequences.
As for our product, we are constantly releasing new features to make Vumber even more useful. For example, we plan to offer low-cost international calling and international Vumbers in the future. We advise customers to go to our website, www.vumber.com, which is constantly updated with the latest happenings at Vumber.
The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali
Thanks to a new partnership with Luggage Forward and Newspaper Direct, guests at The Luxury Collection’s hotels and resorts will now enjoy luggage free travel and having access to more than 600 newspapers and publications.
The Luxury Collection consists of the world’s finest hotels and resorts, including Laguna Resort & Spa, Bali; Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, Arizona; Grande Bregtagne, Athens; The Phoenician, Scottsdale; and Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur.
“We define The Luxury Collection by our guests and the experiences and services they demand and expect. Nothing less than an exceptional level of service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do,” said Ross Klein, President of Starwood’s Luxury Brands Group. “We are proud to launch the brand’s first global partnerships in our continued effort to offer our guests a portal to the world’s most enriching experiences found only within The Luxury Collection.”
Through the exclusive partnership with Luggage Forward, The Luxury Collection offers the brand’s newest service Luxury Collection Luggage Liaison. Imagine having booked a stay at one of The Luxury Collection’s hotels. Prior to departure, Luggage Forward’s door-to-door luggage delivery service will retrieve your baggage and send it to the hotel to be placed in your room. If you wish, they can also unpack your luggage before you arrive.
Picture how good it would feel when you don’t need to worry about your luggage and can travel with a peace of mind - knowing that your belongings will wait for you in your hotel room. No need to carry bags to and from the airport, stand in long check-in lines, or hang around the baggage claim.
You can also use the Luggage Liaison service for your return trip. Just pack your bags and let The Luxury Collection do the rest - including delivery of any purchases you made during the trip.
“Luggage Forward has fundamentally changed the travel experience by providing a global luggage delivery service that offers convenience, service and unparalleled reliability by circumventing the airline process”, said Aaron Kirley, Co-Founder of Luggage Forward. “We are pleased to be working with a brand as respected as The Luxury Collection that has taken the innovative step of adding Luggage Forward as one of the brand’s first global partners.”
For more information on Luggage Liaison, visit www.luxurycollection.com/luggage.
Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, Arizona
Through The Luxury Collection’s partnership with NewspaperDirect, the world leader in multi-channel newspaper and magazine content distribution, you can receive the same-day editions of your favourite magazines from home. Choose from more than 600 newspapers and magazines from 77 countries and have them delivered to your room during your stay. You can also select and purchase publications.
”NewspaperDirect is honored to partner with the Luxury Collection,” said Alex Kroogman, CEO of NewspaperDirect. “Luxury Collection’s prominence and stature within the hospitality industry is a testament to its dedication to fulfilling the needs of every guest. We strongly believe that the ND Press service will be a great fit for this prestigious brand and will be a distinctive amenity for guests who need more than just a local newspaper.”
The Luxury Collection’s new partnerships surely put the company on the forefront of guest hospitality. With Luggage Liaison and NewspaperDirect’s services, you can expect a truly blissful stay at your chosen destination.
For more information on The Luxury Collection, visit http://www.luxurycollection.com/
Chicago - the most popular Memorial Day weekend destination
With rising gas prices, ridiculous airline add-ons, and an uncertain economy, many Americans choose staycations for the upcoming Memorial weekend May 23 - 27. Opting for a destination close to home makes perfect sense for today’s price-savvy travellers.
For example, people living in Los Angeles pick Las Vegas as their staycation spot and Detroit residents choose Chicago - the most popular Memorial Day destination for the second consecutive year. By checking into a nearby hotel, travellers can enjoy little luxuries such as relaxing by the pool, visiting the hotel spa, or ordering room service.
“Taking a staycation cuts travel time and hassle to a spectacular minimum and allows families to save money on getting to/from the airport, airfare, the high Euro, etc,” said Clem Bason, travel expert at Hotwire.com. “Through our relationships with top travel brands, we can offer four-star hotel rooms for two-star prices and discount car rentals for as low as $13.95 per day.”
According to hotel booking data from Hotwire.com, the top ten Memorial Day weekend destinations include:
(2007 rankings in parentheses):
1. Chicago, Illinois (1)
2. Las Vegas, Nevada (22)
3. San Francisco, California (3)
4. New York City, New York (12)
5. Seattle, Washington (16)
6. Los Angeles, California (5)
7. Washington D.C. (2)
8. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (10)
9. Boston, Massachusetts (7)
10. Orlando, Florida (11)
J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Two Years in a Row.”
Below Clem Bason presents some great staycations options for Memorial Day weekend that are available on Hotwire.com:
Atlanta - take a CNN Studio Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at the 24-hour news service (entry $9-12)
- $79 per night for a 4-star hotel in Downtown Atlanta
- $79 per night for a 3.5-star hotel in Midtown Atlanta
- $59 per night for a 3.5-star hotel in Downtown Atlanta
Savannah - Take a Oglethorpe Trolley tour in Savannah’s historic district or visit the immensely popular 700 Kitchen Cooking School. In Hilton Head Island, hit the beach or play golf, or visit the interactive Coastal Discovery Museum, where families can learn about the history and wildlife of sea islands.
- $246 per night for a 4-star resort hotel in Hilton Head Island (listed on Hotwire.com as beachfront hotel with pool)
- $169 per night for a 3.5-star hotel in Savannah Historic District
- $139 per night for a 3-star hotel in Savannah Historic District
- $114 per night for a 3-star hotel in Hilton Head Island
Nashville - Listen to country music and visit the Country Music Museum or go outlet shopping near Opryland
- $172 per night for a 4-star hotel in Downtown Nashville -Vanderbilt University - Metrocenter
- $126 per night for a 4-star hotel in the Opryland area
- $122 per night for a 3.5-star condo in Opryland Area
- $59 per night for a 3-star hotel in Nashville South - Antioch
As you can see, staying close to home can pay off in spades!
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
Based in Sacramento, California, teacher and art lover Angela K. Nickerson can now add author to her CV. Her book “A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome” hit the book stores in April and will without doubt inspire readers to visit the Italian capital.
Published by Roaring Forties Press in April 2008, A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome follows Michelangelo from his arrival in Rome in 1496 to his death in the city almost seventy years later. Each chapter focuses on a particular work and gives a fascinating study of Roman culture, art, and politics. The book includes 14 black-and-white photographs, nearly 90 colour shots and 8 street maps allowing readers to discover Rome as Michelangelo knew it.
Angela K. Nickerson regularly leads tours to Rome and other European cities.
E.J: What do you think about the response to A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome so far?
A.N: It has been lovely! The book has been featured in several publications including the Sacramento Bee, the Houston Chronicle, and ForeWord Magazine. And so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Additionally, travel blogs have picked it up as well. I had great fun on Nerd’s Eye View where I ran a Micro Travel Writing Workshop. And blogs all over the world - like Blissful Travel — have picked up on the book. That’s a very exciting phenomenon and one that was a bit unexpected.
E.J: What was your thought when entering the Sistine Chapel for the first time?
A.N: Deep and utter humility. Goethe wrote, “Until you have seen the Sistine Chapel you have no adequate conception of what man is capable of accomplishing.” He was right. The colors are amazing. The figures absolutely took my breath away. And they are so huge. I don’t think I was prepared for that. I wept. Openly wept.
There’s a tiny piece of me that wishes I’d seen it before the restoration so that I could truly appreciate the brilliance of the colors now. And my fantasy: to have 30 minutes alone in the chapel so that I could lie on the floor and just look up. Some day!
E.J: When did you decide to write A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome? And did you write the book from Rome or from the U.S.?
A.N: Well, I came to this project by luck, chance, divine intervention, and happenstance. I used to teach literature, and I developed a course called “The Bible as Literature.” To hook my students I used Michelangelo’s work as illustrations for the Biblical stories we studied. Roaring Forties Press put out a call for proposals, and I knew that this was meant to be. A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome is truly a fusion of my great passions: writing, travel, and art.
I worked on the book primarily in the US, but I made several research trips. I’d been to Rome many times, and it is one of my favorite places in the world. So going back to take photographs and to do interviews… well, that was part of the pleasure in writing the book.
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
E.J: For someone who has never been to the Sistine Chapel, when would you say is the best time to visit? What season, time of the day etc.?
A.N: Personally, I avoid Italy in the summer unless my goal is to just lie on the beach. That’s not to say that it isn’t lovely year round. It is! But, the rest of the world descends on Italy in the summer - particularly on Rome. I don’t like crowds or lines or paying high prices. And if I don’t have to travel during high season, I don’t.
The best time to travel: late October, November, January, and February. There aren’t any lines. The weather is cool, but comfortable. The tourists have all gone home, and you can walk through a museum at leisure.
Now, going to see the Sistine Chapel… to see the Chapel, you must go to the Vatican Museums. In July the line to enter the Museums can be up to a mile long. It is quite incredible. If you do go in the summer, get up early and be in line before 7 am. Bring some snacks and a book to read (might I suggest A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome) while you wait. Truly, I have met some great people in line for the museum, too. Be friendly! People are generally convivial, and there’s a “we’re all in this together” spirit.
If you are not traveling during high season, it isn’t as important to get in line that early. And at some times of the year you can walk in to the museums without much of a wait at all.
Here’s what you should know: the Museums have two doors - one for groups and one for individuals. The ticket brokers who promise that you won’t have to wait in line for the Museums aren’t entirely truthful. Some send other people to stand in line for you - or to cut the line, which really makes people behind you angry. Others are selling tickets to join a larger group for a tour. The groups generally skip most of the museum and make their way straight to the Sistine Chapel. And, buyer beware: there are a few who take your money and run.
For my money I suggest standing in line for a while and entering as an individual. Go in November with a good friend, and take a book along to read while you wait. Trust me: it is worth it!
E.J: I recently heard about your upcoming trip to Italy. Would you like to tell us a bit more about it? Is the trip for anyone?
A.N: Yes! It is a trip for anyone. I have been taking these trips for a few years now, and my groups have included veteran travelers, people who have never been to Europe, older travelers, younger travelers… people of all kinds. I take a maximum of 10 people at one time, so I can tailor the trip to the group’s pace and needs.
We start in Florence, Michelangelo’s hometown. Our hotel is one block from the Duomo. We go to see the big attractions in Florence - the David, the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo - as well as the lesser-known works including Michelangelo’s Florentine Pieta. We spend 5 nights in Florence exploring the charming city. Then we take the train to Rome where we spend 7 nights in a converted monastery. We visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Michelangleo’s Moses… and so much more.
We walk both cities - no buses on these trips except for city buses. I have created an itinerary that is flexible, but it is built around Michelangelo’s life. In essence we DO A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome. And we have a great time!
Gregory Favre wrote a lovely travelogue after traveling with me in January. You can read his article from the Sacramento Bee on my website (www.aknickerson.net), and you can also get more information about the trip. The next one leaves in late October. I am also available as a travel escort for families or small groups.
My goal whether writing or traveling with a group is to create a framework for travelers. So often I see tourists wandering through Rome looking totally overwhelmed clinging to a huge guidebook and clearly not sure what to make of the city. I understand that. Rome’s history is so rich, and there is something of significance around every corner. A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome filters all of that information. It provides a theme for a trip through Rome and illustrates the connections between the ages.
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
Editor’s Note: For more information about Angela K. Nickerson, visit http://aknickerson.blogspot.com or drop by her website at http://www.aknickerson.net.
After watching Nuit de la Glisse, you will get a free issue of The Perfect Moment.
Check out the free trial issues of The Surfer’s Path online.
Transworld Surf has it all.
In Mary Wells Is Ready for Her Close-up, a photo essay from Capri, Mary writes about the Italian town where everything feels like a movie set. There, you can take the boat to adorable Positano, stay in the new hotel J.K. Palace or perhaps Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Anacapri, the town above Capri.
When to go? According to Mary Wells, October is a perfect month. Don’t miss a short cruise around Capri before the sun sets.
Scenes in Taiwan
Professional nomad, travel writer and Lonely Planet co-author Joshua Samuel Brown is almost done researching Lonely Planet Singapore 8. Before he will get to the writing from home, I had the chance for a short interview.
E.J: How did you get into writing guidebooks for Lonely Planet? Have you always loved writing and traveling?
JSB: I’d been doing journalism and traveling since about 1998, with a fair bit of “travel journalism” thrown in along the way. In 2006 my first book - Vignettes of Taiwan - was published, and I sent a copy to Lonely Planet. They invited me to apply for an author’s position, and shortly after I was working on my first LP title (Taiwan 7). Since then, I’ve done two more books for LP.
E.J: What is your favourite location and/or trip and why?
JSB: Any trip in which I don’t have to collect data for a guidebook or conduct interviews has been of late very dear to me. But I still do love Taiwan, if you’re looking for me to plug someplace.
E.J For those who aren’t familiar with your blog Snarky Tofu, can you tell us a bit about it?
JSB: I do a lot of stuff with Snarky Tofu. Sometimes I run short articles that I’m considering putting into whatever Lonely Planet guide I’m working on to see what readers think - readers of Snarky T and Taiwan 7 will see a few examples of this on both. Sometimes I run experimental essays that LP wouldn’t even know what to do with, or run short stories I’ve written that really don’t fit into any particular theme. Sometimes when I’m too lazy to write I post images. Sometimes I just use the blog to vent about how I’m losing my mind. This seems to be happening more and more these days as I slip further and further out of sanity.
E.J: What are you favourite posts? I have to say I loved ‘My Parents Are Little People’.
JSB: I like that one too, and I’m actually going to reference it in another question. I find myself steering people to the posts that have both educational and entertainment value. Number-one visited post is “Me and the Ladyboys” - man, people just can’t get enough of ladyboys….
E.J: What advice can you give to people who want to write for Lonely Planet?
JSB: To have a clear picture of what the job entails. Much of what I do is gathering information… what time does this bowling alley open and how much are shoe-rentals, that sort of thing. The pace can be grueling, and the writing itself can sometimes be soul crushing (”Rooms are clean, tidy, and fairly spacious, and some have lovely views of the interior courtyard’s bamboo garden.”… fun, eh?). Basically, any potential writer should understand that there’s definitely a lot of “job” involved in the job.
E.J: Recently I read that Thomas Kohnstamm, one of Lonely Planet’s guidebooks authors, confessed he had faked information. Apparently, he wrote the guidebook to Colombia from his home in San Francisco. How do you think Lonely Planet’s reputation will be affected by this?
JSB: Hopefully by now you’ve sorted out fact from hype about the case - TK was commissioned only to do some front end material for the Colombia guide in question, not to do the on-the-ground research. So in this instance the “confession” was more media hype to pump up a bad-boy image which he might well deserve for other reasons. I found myself having a very ugly reaction to the case initially. Even wrote the man a fairly brutal letter & posted it on my blog, only to take it down later after I realized - through a bit of soul searching - that my reaction was based mostly on my own career doubts and dissatisfaction.
The post you mentioned earlier - “My Parents are Little People” - was written partially in response to the issue, to show people just how far some writers were willing to go to get a review. But actually I pull stunts like that all the time. Makes the day a bit more memorable.
As far as LP’s reputation, It seems that the media buzz has died down, and that most people who care have gotten the real story, namely that TK had overstated his exploits (specifically the “writing-from-home” bit) to create a buzz. I think that most readers understand that LP writers spend plenty of time on the ground researching books, and that most writers take the commitment to providing unbiased reviews very seriously.
E.J: Last… if you had all the money in the world to spend on traveling, where would you go?
JSB: My wife Laurie and I are planning to spend the next few years developing our organic farm on our land in rural Texas, growing fruits, legumes, vegetables, flowers and bamboo, as well as raising goats, ducks, and (if she lets me) ferrets. So if I were to get a sudden windfall, I’d probably just buy more stuff for the farm and save the traveling for later. Probably would buy a cool motorcycle and use it to explore the American west when I wasn’t home farming.
Thanks for the interview Joshua and good luck with your Texas plans! And, I have to admit, you’re not the only one who wants to explore the American west on a cool motorcycle.
Editor’s Note: For more information about Joshua, head over to Snarky Tofu or visit his website at http://www.josambro.com.
Most people have an idea of where they’d like to travel - whether it’s a beach vacation, a skiing holiday, or a city break - but not everyone know where to stay. Thanks to UpTake, you can search and find hotels anywhere in the U.S., read opinions from other travelers and also discover what to do at your chosen destination.
Today, UpTake opened to the public by letting users come in without a password. In today’s interview, UpTake president Yen Lee talks about what new features and enhancements you can expect and how he views the future of the company.
E.J: To what extent did your background at CitySearch San Francisco and Yahoo! Travel, help form UpTake?
Y.L: At CitySearch, we learned the intricacies of launching a start-up from the ground-up. We also saw that offering the right content in an easy-to-use, well-organized format can help people discover more about their own city. The service also created an opportunity for marketing and promotion for all sizes & types of businesses. But, we learned that travel-related businesses needed a lot more help then local related business, e.g. hotels or tourist attractions have very different support than the local plumber (who has the yellow pages).
At Yahoo! Travel, I realized there was still an untapped consumer need in travel that went beyond price comparison (e.g. SideStep) and booking (e.g. Expedia). Travel search had to start addressing the more fundamental question of who and why you are taking a vacation-not just assuming you already know the when and where. I also realized the explosion of reviews and blogs and the subsequent difficulty online travel planners had accessing and finding the right information for their trip was an untapped opportunity-thus the genesis of UpTake.
E.J: When did you decide to do a public beta launch?
Y.L: We have been planning our public beta launch for months. We wanted to launch with the travel industry’s largest database of U.S. hotels and activities and with the analysis of 20 million online opinions to give travelers’ a central resource to plan and decide on a trip.
E.J: What new features and enhancements can your visitors expect?
Y.L: Since our private beta launch, we added some big-and some small-new features to improve travel planning and decision making. With us, you can:
- Uncover 20 million opinions from across the web - analyzed, ranked, sorted and parsed to make sure you just get the most relevant results -now the results are countrywide.
- Find a hotel anywhere in the U.S. -we went from only California and Hawaii to the entire country.
- Search just for travel naturally -our new home page will help you find the right vacation for you. We have covered the biggest segments of U.S. consumer travel - families, romance, pet-friendly and girls getaways.
- Check rates -with our cool new buttons you can select your favorite booking site
- Discover what to do as well. We have over 250,000 activities, attractions etc. in the U.S.
E.J: How do you view the future for UpTake?
Y.L: Uptake is launching with the broadest and deepest information on U.S. hotels and we will be developing similar levels of coverage for activities and destinations later this year. Our goal is to help you find the travel information you need to make the most of your precious vacation time. But we feel like we are just getting started toward this goal. There is so much more to do from going global to covering events and restaurants etc. We’d welcome your feedback - please send us your suggestions and comments to feedback@uptake.com.
Editor’s Note: For more information about the launch, visit UpTake.com is now open to the public! at the Uptake blog.
Linda at the G