We're just 5 days into the new year and I'm already thinking about my next vacation. Mostly I'm thinking can I afford it? (And will I have a job when I get back?) Many travelers are going to have to be even more thrifty about vacations this year. I suspect people will wait longer to make plans, hoping to get the best deal at the last minute. That's not a bad strategy, especially if your schedule is flexible or you're thinking about taking a cruise. Another idea is to decide where you want to go early on and then monitor airfare prices at airfarewatchdog.com or sign up for emails from hotels or other travel providers that will give you the inside edge on upcoming deals for that destination.

Trying to decide where to go? CheapTickets.com lists the top places where your money will have the most stretch if you go off-season, including Portland, Maine in spring; Napa Valley in winter; and Tucson in summer - yeah, I know. Blazing hot. Right. But to save money you gotta make sacrifices. Overseas budget friendly locales include Hong Kong, Brazil and Greece. Still can't decide? Check out our list of fun 2009 events around the world.

Photo: Tucson, Ariz. is a hot destination for 2009. And we do mean hot.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Considering the temperature in Chicago, who wouldn't want to be in Hawaii? Lucky for president-elect Barack Obama, he and his family can afford to get out of the very windy city for a 12-day tropical vacation. Of course, it is his hometown and he's essentially doing what a lot of Americans do at the holidays: going home to visit family and friends.

I recently took my own beach vacation to Florida, but I didn't get to stay in a million-dollar rental property like the Obamas. Oh, well. Life's not fair. But for kicks, let's say I had money to burn from a generous employer, what would I pay to stay like the Obamas? I did a quick check over at Rentalo.com. And though for security reasons, the Obama folks can't say exactly where he's staying there was a photo (above) of the beachfront house by The Associated Press, who also report the five-bedroom $9 million estate is in Kailua, about 30 minutes from Honolulu. At Rentalo, I found an oceanfront rental with four bedrooms, a jacuzzi and hot tub in a gated community in Honolulu, for a cool $25,000 a month. Not bad. Only $800 a night.

The folks at Hawaii's official visitor's bureau have not overlooked the possibiiity of Obama's frequent vacations gaining them more tourists. They've set up a special page on their site highlighting Obama's local favorites. I guess they're looking for their own Meli Kalikimaka. (Merry Christmas)

Photo: Associated Press

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Oh, brother where art thou? Stuck in an airport, perhaps? If you're planning to travel this weekend like I am, plan on having to wait. Whether you're flying or driving, the weather is just not cooperating with us holiday travelers. Delay is the word of the day. And probably tomorrow too, especially if you're headed to the Midwest or New England areas.

Flights headed into BWI Marshall are not a problem, but check with your carrier before you show up for flights to Chicago, Boston, Milwaukee or Detroit. Hundreds of flights have already been canceled and others are seriously delayed. If you're driving to the Midwest maybe hold off a day or two. (Springfield, Illinois had an inch of ice. Nasty.)

Wherever you're headed, take an extra dose of patience. And be safe. Happy holidays!

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Because now I'm obsessed. Back in July, the National Business Travel Association released a study of car rental, hotel and meal taxes in the Top 50 U.S. travel destinations.

The survey found these places imposed the highest taxes based on a single night's stay: San Francisco (19.06%), Los Angeles (19.06%), San Diego (17.56%), Nashville (17.18%), Sacramento (17.06%), Houston (17%), Ontario, Calif.(16.81%), New York City (16.75%), San Antonio (16.75%) and Columbus (16.75%).

Baltimore was close the bottom of the list at 13.5%. The lowest hotel taxes? Las Vegas at 9%.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Did all you holiday travelers make it home OK? Yesterday's air travel was peppered by big weather delays, ruining what had seemed last Wednesday to be a very smooth start to a busy weekend. If the in-laws drove you screaming home a day early, I know you're thankful. Thanksgiving was only four days ago, but it seems like light years in travel news. Here's where we start on this first day of the last month of the year:

Last week's Mumbai (Bombay) terror attacks left hundreds dead, many more injured and thousands of tourists stranded. Sadly, a former Loyola professor and his young daughter were among the victims. I almost don't know what to say about these tragic events. My general theory is that there are bad people everywhere - and you don't have to travel to to a foreign country to encounter them. However, at the moment I would leave India, Thailand and Pakistan off my travel list. Even if I could afford to stay at some swank, luxury hotel that's supposed to be super safe. That said, there are ways to reduce your risk at hotels, which were targeted in Mumbai. Here's some advice from a travel security company based in Annapolis.

Speaking of travel risks, most people think cruises are just about one of the safest options. As long as there are no icebergs, what could happen? Well, how about pirates? A group of seagoing riff-raff fired on a cruise ship owned by Oceania as it was cruising the Gulf of Aden. The captain of the Nautica, carrying 684 passengers and 400 crew, had to take evasive action, basically speeding up and outrunning the rebels. But still. Yikes.

And if you had planned to head to Illinois to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, you'll have to scratch some sights off your list. It seems state budget cuts will lead to the closing of 7 historic parks and about a dozen historic sites, inlcuding Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana-Thomas House and Lincoln Log Cabin, an 86-acre re-creation of his farm. Not a nice birthday present.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Are you travelers revved up and ready to go? Hope so. If you were smart and had a flexible schedule, you probably left last night or in the wee hours of this morning. Or if you are lucky like me, you don't plan on traveling any further than your kitchen. But if you plan to be on the road or in the air today here's a last minute checklist:

1. Don't forget your BWI parking coupon which gets you a spot in the Express Parking garage for just $9 a day. That's a savings of 5 bucks off the usual $14/day rate.

2. To track flight status for guests arriving at BWi, click here. If you merely want to be dazzled by the sheer volume of air traffic today, go to FlightAware.com.

3. Mind your bags - remember overweight luggage will cost you dearly. Amtrak says they will strictly enforce their carry-on bag policy, as well. The train limits each passenger to two carry-on pieces of luggage. Amtrak will also require a photo I.D.

4. Remember the 3-1-1 rule (3 oz container sizes) applies to just about every liquid, including salsa, sauces and savory jams. If you're not sure, check it.

5. Give your car a quick once over before hitting the road. Check wipers, battery, tire pressure etc. AAA expects some 5 million travelers to be stranded on the road over the holiday season. You don't want to be one of them. You can also check out crowded roads and other alerts at Traffic.com. For Maryland roads, check out the DOT's site.

Hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It's Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Even if you're not hopping on a train or picking up a relative at the airport, you can still smell the frenzy in the air. Here's some travel news that you may have missed while you were grabbing a turkey at Wegmans over the weekend:

Amtrak's Auto Train is back up and running on schedule after a temporary shutdown last week. Amtrak repaired some 36 out of 50 rail cars that had cracks in their undercarriage. Speaking of Amtrak, the company expects to serve some 665,000 passengers between tomorrow and next Monday. Of those, 128,000 will travel on Wednesday. Some 22,000 will enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie along the way.

Like the train, expect planes to be full and packed to the gills, according to this story in USA Today. But the good news is your flight may be ontime.

More good news: Southwest may be ditching gates they don't use at BWI Marshall, but the airline has no plans to reduce the number of flights. In fact, some of the flights the airline cut back on this past summer have already been restored for spring, according to a BWI spokesperson.

Those packed planes mean rubbing elbows and sharing your breathing space with people who have the sniffles or, eek, the flu or even something worse. The "worse" part is what was feared yesterday at LAX, when a passenger on a flight from Japan became seriously ill. The CDC was called in to make sure it wasn't a super bug of some sort. It wasn't. Hand sanitizer, anyone?

The town of Frederick is the star of a weekend travel story in the New York Times. (I enjoyed the quick tour of this lovely outpost, but when am I going to read a story that doesn't have Baltimore and blight in the same sentence? We're trying, people! Well, most of us.)

Photo: Associated Press 

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Watch out Disney World. Baltimore's American Visionary Arts Museum made it onto a list of top kid-friendly destinations and you didn't.

Travel+Leisure magazine has named "10 Places to See Before You're 10" in its September issue. The list includes the artsy, edgy, cool AVAM plus Colonial Williamsburg, Sears Tower, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Ellis Island, L.A.'s Griffith Observatory, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Muir Woods. Also on the list: Disneyland - the one in Anaheim, not Orlando. The magazine calls Mickey's California pad "more manageable" for kids.

The folks over at the AVAM are "thrilled," says spokesperson Pete Hilsee, noting that the museum is in the company of travel giants, both literally and figuratively. So if you haven't had the chance to check out the museum, located in Federal Hill, now's the time. Before those grade-schoolers start a stampede.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Speaking of fall, the 2009 Farmers Almanac says fall color will peak inland in Maryland Oct. 19-29. Also peaking during this time: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia and North Carolina. Maryland coastal areas will peak Oct. 26- Nov. 5, along with Delaware, South Carolina and coastal Virginia. Peak time in much of New England is predicted to be Oct. 5-15. Pennsylvania and West Virginia leaves get their peak color Oct. 12-22. So plan accordingly.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

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Earlier this month, Orbitz.com listed New Orleans as one of the top Labor Day destinations. What a comeback the city is making, slowly but surely. All that only adds to my sadness that a state of emergency has already been declared in Louisiana, as the state braces for the possibility that Gustav could strike as a category 3 hurricane.

Airlines are prepared as well, according to USAToday, offering to waive fees for those who had planned to head to the Big Easy this weekend. But there's nothing that will be easy about watching a hurricane zoom up the Gulf, taking a path that only reminds us of tragedy. All I can think is oh no, not again.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

A few sales popped up in my inbox today:

British Airways has a Labor Day sale with flights to London from BWI starting at $269 each way for travel between Oct.23 and Dec. 17. Passengers also receive a free two-day London Pass, which offers free admission to various attractions. Make your reservations here by Sept. 3. (British Airways)

Morgans Hotel, a New York City boutique hotel located in Midtown, is re-opening after a major renovation with special holiday rates of $229 per night, including breakfast. Never stayed here, but that's a great price, especially at Thanksgiving. Think Macy's Parade. (Hotwire)

Orbitz has an International Sale offering 40% discount on hotels. Book your trip between Sept.3 and Oct. 5 and travel by Dec. 15. Destinations include Dominican Republic, Spain and New Zealand. (Orbitz.com)

Save up to 40% on your stay at Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas. Includes breakfast and dinner, plus if you use your American Express card, you can save an additional $200. Of course, fall is hurricane time in the tropics, so it's a deal with a risk. Make sure you ask about cancellation policies. (bookingbuddy.com)

Fly South African Airways roundtrip from Dulles to Cape Town starting at $1,160 or to Johannesburg starting at $1,345. Limited dates. Book by Sept. 30.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

For those 30 million or so people who are traveling for Labor Day, here are the top destinations according to Orbitz.com, along with their rankings from last year. Anaheim, I don't get, unless every family in California has decided to head to Disneyland this year. Possible, I guess. But Orlando, home of the much-better IMHO Disney World, is one of the destinations that fell out of the list this year. Also Washington and San Diego are out of favor. But Anaheim? Must be those hard-working housewives of Orange County.

1. Las Vegas (1)

2. New York (2)

3. Cancun, Mexico

4. Chicago (3)

5. Honolulu

6. Seattle (10)

7. San Francisco (4)

8. Atlanta (9)

9. Anaheim

10. New Orleans

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Well, maybe not that extreme. But if you haven't made any Labor Day travel plans, you're not alone. AAA predicts fewer folks will venture more than 50 miles from home this coming holiday weekend. Travel for Memorial Day and 4th of July showed a similar decline. AAA expects air travel to drop nearly 5 percent, and travel by train, bus or motorcycle to increase more than 12 percent.

Makes sense with everyone concerned about the economy and gas prices, which have come down a bit from the $4 range, but are still 91 cents more per gallon than this time last year. 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It looks like the day for weather stories. Here's another. Tropical storm Fay is moving slowly across the southern Florida peninsula, bringing lots of rain and a few tornadoes. So far, the storm's not strong enough to be a hurricane, but that may change.

Travelers to Key West had their vacations disrupted and some cruises are changing their itineraries, but Disney World is open today. Maybe it will close early like Sea World, which plans to batten down the hatches by 5 p.m. -- about 4 hours early.

Some flights to Florida from BWI have been cancelled, including several afternoon AirTran and Southwest trips into Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. AirTran is allowing passengers to rebook on alternate flights this week without penalty. The weather, however, didn't affect Barack Obama's morning trip to Orlando, where he met with veterans. But by noon, he was outta there. Can't quite say the same for Fay, which is expect to double-back across northern Florida by the end of the week -- possibly as a hurricane.

(Photo: A surfer braves the waves at a beach in Indiatlantic, Fla. Orlando Sentinel) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Barack Obama's life may look glamorous, especially in campaign ads, but his vacation last week to Hawaii wasn't exactly the lap of luxury.

Although Obama stayed in a rented manse, he played golf on a public course that costs as little as $33 to tee off, bought $8 burgers for a picnic lunch, took his family for a tour of the Aloha Tropical Farm that charges $2 for admission and enjoyed bodysurfing in the ocean for free, reports the Associated Press.

Of course, Obama also held a $2,300-per-plate fundraiser. But, hey, he didn't pay for it. Obama did spring for the $2.50 shaved ice his daughters enjoyed. Now there's a cheap play date.

(Photo: Associated Press) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

In April, I took a trip to Arizona, where I visited Saguaro National Park. The park is divided into two distinct districts -- east and west -- that flank the city of Tucson. The two areas offer hiking trails, wilderness treks and other opportunities to be bitten by snakes or tortured by tarantulas. OK, I'm kidding. Tucson may not be the snake-bite capital, but why else would the park mark its trails with warning signs showing cute cartoony snakes?

So I shot the video from the safety of a car on a paved scenic route just before sunset, which was one of the most amazing I've ever seen. The desert after dark is a mysterious -- dare I say creepy? -- place. On the way back to the hotel, a pack of coyotes ran out in front of our car. Actually, sort of ambled out. They weren't in a hurry. I guess at night, the desert is theirs to enjoy and explore.

I did set foot on the ground the next day in a visit to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, where I took a short hike to Signal Hill to view prehistoric petryglyphs etched into stones and rocks. The museum itself offers guided tours and hikes that are family friendly. When we visited, the desert was in bloom, with striking colors of yellow, orange and purple. The weather was pleasant, too. It's the 75th anniversary of the park and well worth a visit in fall or spring.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The party stops on Sept. 27, when Disney plans to close all of the nightclubs at Pleasure Island in the Downtown Disney complex. This is sad news to those of us who loved the rotating dance floor at Mannequins or the '70s disco scene at 8 Trax. After spending all day with screaming kids, the adults need a place to escape and Pleasure Island was it.

Now, Disney plans to replace the party atmosphere with a mix of family friendly shopping and dining. Great. More places to buy stuff with ears.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

For my recent vacation, I used a variety of travel modes, partly out of necessity and partly out of frustration. I flew to Florida. Took the train to Charleston. Then drove from there back to Baltimore. You won't be surprised that I preferred the flight. But you may be surprised that I would rather drive than take Amtrak, no matter the price of gas and despite a recent New York Times story that says Amtrak ridership is up because of rising fuel costs.

Let me just say up front, it's not the fault of Amtrak or its dedicated employees -- it's Congress' fault for allowing the national rail system to deteriorate to its current state.

I didn't fly to Charleston because a) it's a connecting flight of about 6 hours total travel time from Florida and I hate connecting flights; and b) it cost $275. Also, I would have had to pay for another flight from Charleston to Baltimore. For my entire trip, I would have spent nearly $1,000 in plane fare, which was a bit steep for me. Instead, I found a multi-city ticket fare on Amtrak for less than $150, using an AAA discount. It sounded like a good deal, but it wasn't.

Continue reading "Planes, trains and automobiles" »

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)