What’s better than a relaxing day off work spent lounging in the countryside? Nothing, except that same day spent imbibing some of California’s finest wines, nibbling on exquisite appetizers, and chatting with friendly vintners in a quaint, bucolic atmosphere.

I just got back from a one-day wine tasting excursion to Napa Valley. Napa is a world-famous destination for wine lovers of all kinds, and is also known for its lush scenery. Framed by rolling hills shrouded in stout oak trees, and sprinkled liberally with brilliant California poppies, olive trees, and those famous vineyards, Napa is a true treat for the senses, even for those who are not particularly wine-inclined.

Yet, while there’s no debating Napa’s fine qualities, the fact remains that it’s quite the popular destination and, consequently, is somewhat expensive. This is why, when the opportunity presents itself, I head east to sample the wines of Amador County. The downside of Amador is the distance. It’s about a three-hour drive from San Francisco (Napa’s only about one). The upsides, though, are many. Amador boasts a wide variety of vintners growing everything from zinfandel to chardonnay, but their specialty is Rhone Valley reds, which are not only delicious, but fairly inexpensive. Many vintners offer bottles under $10, and most bottles sell for between $10 and $30.

In Amador, you’ll also notice an absence of the stately manors found in Napa. Instead, you’ll find tiny one-room tasting cellars, ancient stucco buildings stuffed with artifacts, and friendly, enthusiastic vintners versed in storytelling. Much of the tasting takes place outdoors, and the surroundings are enchanting and almost completely rural. I head there every chance I get. In fact, chances are you’ll find me there the weekend after next, when Amador hosts its annual Big Crush celebration.

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Posted in Culinary Travel, Festivals & Events, Nature & Outdoors, San Francisco
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One of my duties at Travelocity is writing about cruises. Here’s the typical response I get when I announce this at dinner parties.

“Cruises”?! (Person chokes on a bite of food.) “Aren’t they for old people”?

If you tuned into the premiere of the modern-day TV classic America’s Next Top Model, then you would have seen Cycle 9 kicking off onboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas. There, the model hopefuls were coming down with seasickness, noshing on rich cruise cuisine while accusing one another of eating disorders, and even attempting to “work it” on the jogging track, much to the displeasure of runway expert Miss J.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member PNelson

According to the most recent survey by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), the median cruiser age is 49, whereas the median non-cruiser vacationer’s age is just 42. But this trend might soon be changing.

For those who have never cruised, or even for anyone who hasn’t cruised in a long time, the latest onboard innovations will likely be more shocking than the year CariDee won Top Model. The ship featured on the show boasts an ice-skating rink, a rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course, a full-size basketball court, a movie theater, a golf simulator--not to mention a sizeable casino and many, many bars. On other ships, I’ve also seen bowling alleys, nightclubs with beds for lounging, self-adjusting pool tables, cigar bars with microbrews on tap, and even a surfing simulator. And if you live on or near the water, cruising remains one of the best deals afloat, especially if you’re traveling with a big group of friends.

So my question is: is cruising the newest travel trend? Is Tyra Banks ahead of the curve once again?

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Posted in Celebrities, Cruise Travel, Travel News
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Some people are all work and no play, others are merely slackers holding down a day job to fund their fun. Others still work hard and play harder. Then, there is that nearly imperceptible minority that simply cannot bear to be separated from their coworkers for even the slightest passage of time and so engage in some sort of fun jaunt on the weekend with their various professional counterparts. The office outing can be a dreaded affair but not at IgoUgo. I don’t mind telling you that here we take our fun seriously, and we settle any in-house issues the old-fashioned way: with duels.

That is a lie; there were no duels, per se, but we did enjoy ourselves at Liberty Paintball on Saturday afternoon. Ten intrepid IgoUgoers, and a smattering of easily suggestible friends woke up early, giving up precious shut eye, television, and quality family time to drive an hour out of New York City for unforeseen ferocity on the paintball field.

For those of you who don’t know, paintball is a fairly intense team sport that simulates, in some minor way, combat. Some think of it as a sick example of American gun culture, others as merely good exercise—you really do run a lot, particularly when someone is shooting at you. Particularly when it is your boss. During the week, she may be a soft-spoken editor, but Saturday imparts a ruthlessness that made me call HR to double my accidental death and dismemberment options. Of course, there is something slightly morbid about stalking your company’s general manager or cowering in a bunker while a contingent of developers slowly closes in on your position but I just looked at it as a team-building exercise.

It’s true that the game is not for everyone. As the humid afternoon wore on, welts invariably made themselves evident, clothes got ruined, and we all got hungry. What, then, possessed us to partake in such barbarism? Aside from the double cheeseburgers and chicken fingers at Red Rooster that were calling our names, I like to think it was our adventurous spirit. Many of the day’s participants were first-time paintballers but, being seasoned travelers all, any excuse to try something new, and to share it with like-minded thrill seekers is a good enough reason to do just about anything.

Despite a certain amount of trepidation to begin with, we all got home safely and had plenty to talk about on Monday, ultimately cementing the bonds that make working with people you like even easier. Of course, not all such functions end so well; do you have any work-related outings that have ended disastrously?

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Posted in Nature & Outdoors, Ski & Sport
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I’ve never really understood the appeal of the spa, let alone spa travel. I bruise easily, am ticklish, and have frighteningly sensitive skin, so my spa visits (mostly results of misguided gift certificates) have been somewhat traumatic. But ever since I visited China, where inexpensive spas were ubiquitous and my body sore from traveling, I’ve begun to rethink my position. Luckily, should I decide to become a true Spahound, my en-route options are fast becoming endless as transportation hubs take notice of spas’ popularity.

From October 31 to November 3, Spa Finder will assemble representatives from 50 of the world’s leading spas at New York’s Grand Central Station for The Spa Experience, allowing commuters to receive treatments or attend seminars on their way to work. I’m not sure I like the idea of taking to the massage table or cozying up to any sort of seaweed in public, but I’ll admit that an on-the-go massage does sound like the ultimate antidote to Grand Central’s legendary hustle and bustle.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member smmmarti guide

Airplane commuters (and harried leisure travelers) can ease their stress with more permanent fixtures; XpresSpa and d_parture are among the chains creating a cozy niche market for airport spas. Some airports even have their own exclusive lines. As flight delays—and time spent in airports—increase, these spots are well poised to become today’s alternatives to the airlines’ elite flyer clubs and welcome reprieves from sky stress.

Since at this point I steadfastly remain a potential fan of spas, I’d rather de-stress with a book at my departure gate. But how do these on-the-go setups rate with those of you who don’t collapse in fits of giggles (or tears) during facials and massages? Would you pay top dollar for a less-than-private retreat in a train station or airport if it means relieving the stress inherent to these places? Or will you skip these stopovers and save your money for true bliss and a more peaceful spa experience?

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Posted in Health & Wellness, New York City, Spas
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Bottoms up: Oktoberfest has begun! The largest beer festival in the world, this 2-week party kicked off on Saturday and has brew-lovers coming together for a rousing, collective cry of "Prost!"

Originally a celebration of a royal marriage (that of German Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen), Oktoberfest today has shed its sense of decorum and become a festival for the masses. In Munich, six enormous beer tents open their taps to throngs of revelrous beer drinkers, and spin-off celebrations erupt around the world. In the US, festivities are coming to a head in Denver, Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Boston, and beyond.

But those of us who can't clink our pints in the midst of Oktoberfest celebrations aren't lesser beer connoisseurs. In fact, one of our very own on The Window Seat is tipping his hat (and his fermenter) to the fine art of brew at Brew York City, and many of us have devoted an evening or two on our travels to sampling the local tipples. My favorite departs from Germany and heads south to the Czech Republic: a pint of rich, dark Kozel in a cozy beer hall in Prague.

So, in honor of Oktoberfest, but really in honor of the thirst-quenching wonders a little yeast and grain can produce, let's make a toast to our favorite brews. What's yours, and where did you take your first swig?

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Posted in Festivals & Events
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Northwest Airlines seems to think so. The Detroit Free Press reports the airline's workers, including flight attendants and reservation agents, will undergo intensive training to improve customer service. The airline was the subject of countless news reports this summer, when it cancelled more than 4,000 flights in a two-month period.

Here's the question -- will better customer service make a difference the next time you need to book a flight? Or does price trump all?

I had a conversation on this topic with a well-traveled individual yesterday. Though we agreed we might pay a little more to fly an airline that consistently offered better customer service, ultimately what we looked for was a low price.

What about you? Do you pay more to fly on an airline where you're treated well? Or does price alone drive your purchase? And if you would be willing to pay a little more to fly on an airline with great customer service, how much is the limit?

How much is good customer service worth to you?

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Posted in Air Travel, Travel News
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I'd never flown Southwest until a few weeks ago, when I made the short hop from Oakland International to LAX on the famous low-budget carrier and experienced its infamous "cattle call" boarding process firsthand.

Rather than assigning seats, of course, Southwest follows a policy whereby the letter printed on your boarding pass--A, B, or C--determines the order in which you're allowed to board the plane and choose your seat (those with the coveted As go first.) Imagine how surprised my boyfriend and I were when we decided it was finally time to join one of those long lines snaking through the departure lounge, and found that Sean's boarding pass bore a sucks-to-be-you C and mine a proud, triumphant A.

Why? Well, your guess is as good as mine. We booked our tickets together, checked in (early) together, and were obviously traveling together. Perhaps the gate agent just liked the look of me or something.

(Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Torpedo1962)

Needless to say, I got on the plane long before Sean, selected a choice aisle seat a few rows from the front, and possessively kept my purse on the seat next to me for a full twenty minutes until I finally saw him boarding the plane. While he wasn't one of the last Cs to make it on, he was pretty close--and let me tell you, that group did not look happy. And with good reason--thanks to their third-class status, they were doomed to get no overhead storage space and a cramped middle seat at the back of the plane near the toilets. Most likely five rows behind the person they were traveling with.

Southwest announced yesterday--after rampant speculation to the contrary--that they would be keeping the open seating policy and A-B-C grouping for which they're famous, rather than joining most other airlines in assigning specific seats. What will change, however, is this: in addition to the A,B, or C on your boarding pass, you'll also be given a number. At the gate, your place in line is already established, which means no need for those ridiculously frustrating lines forming forty-five minutes before most people even get on the plane. When it's time to board, specific groups will be invited to do so in sections of five, starting (of course) with the As. So now you don't just have to keep any eye on whether you're an A, B, or C, but whether you're an A5, a B16, or a C29--all of it will influence when you get on the plane.

Since it's here to stay--albeit with some modifications that should hopefully help cut down on pandemonium--how can you work the cattle call system to your advantage? Well, according to Southwest, checking in online a full 24 hours before departure will likely win you a coveted A grade on your boarding pass (top marks for you!) But then again, who's to say--it might just be a case of the check-in agent liking your shoes.

(PS: What do you think of the Southwest seating system? Love it or hate it? And what about now they've decided to ditch the policy of letting families with young kids board first?)

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Posted in Air Travel, Budget Travel, Travel News
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We’ve all played the what would you do if you were a millionaire game. Fancy cars, big houses and world travel probably top many a list. But, how many people would actually spend $30k per night on a hotel suite? Coming from a person who considers $300 per night a splurge, you could say that the Ty Warner Suite at the Four Seasons in New York induces a case of sticker shock.

If you were a millionaire, would this splurge be on your list?

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Posted in Hotel Travel
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What do Cher, Whoopie Goldberg, and Kate Bosworth have in common? Apparently, they’re all afraid of flying. According to FearlessFlight.com, your chances of being in an air accident are just one in 11 million. To me, this statistic doesn’t make soaring along the jet stream any less freaky, though. My airplane nerves used to keep me on hyper-alert for potential problems—as if there was anything I’d be able to do about a catastrophe.

Whenever I traveled with my sister, I was even worse. Each of our fears would foment the other’s, egging each other on to new heights of hysteria. Even in a pre-9/11 world we had our eye on all the passengers, ready to hit the call button for suspicious behavior or grab our armrests to steel ourselves through turbulence at a second’s notice.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member rokiss.ch.

Together, we hit rock bottom on a trip to Israel. Dawn was breaking, everyone else on the plane was out cold, and we were really bored and antsy. When a man started rocking by the exit door window, we convinced ourselves he was going to do something drastic. So we hatched an elaborate rescue plan, one that involved a lot of pouncing, muscle flexing, and TV-ready heroics. Good thing we learned just in time the "window rocker" was a harmless Orthodox Jew carrying out his morning prayers.

Although it seems counterintuitive, I’ve gotten much less nervous on planes since 9/11. Maybe it’s a new sense of fatalism. Maybe I’ve been desensitized by watching too much Lost. More likely, it’s that I’ve accumulated some self-soothing mechanisms. Gum, for example. When I get on the plane, I chew it like a mad cow with a mouthful. This not only helps equalize my ears, but some believe the motion of chewing releases calming serotonin in the brain.

What else? The in-flight movie can be a distraction, so is music. A page-turner book is helpful, as is the SkyMall magazine (remote-controlled rodent, anyone?). Having a drink lulls me into a subdued sleepiness that makes looking out the window endlessly fascinating. I guess I’m kind of like David Puddy in this regard, a champion space-case, but sometimes I enjoy sitting still and doing absolutely nothing but breathing.

Whether you’re a nervous nellie or cool as a cucumber, got any tips you can share?

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Posted in Air Travel, Health & Wellness
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Coming off a pricey, overcrowded summer travel season can there be any relief in sight for the fall? That's what most travelers I talk to want to know anyway. So here's the skinny on fall travel and what you can do to make your traveling life a little better.

You can still expect fall travel to be busy – but the good news is it won't be quite as busy as it was all summer long. According to the International Air transit Association (IATA) airline passenger growth is slowing. IATA reports that global growth weakened slightly in the first half of the year. They also have reported that load factors (that means the percentage of people in seats on a given plane) aren't growing nearly as fast as they have been. Well what does this mean aside from a few less people in the skies? It means that we could finally see what we call in the travel biz a "softening" of demand. And the reason that is important is it means that you might just see some lower prices out there!

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Panda1

While early numbers don’t yet reveal a huge shift in the airline pricing cycle, there are indications they could be coming down ever so slightly as we saw lower average prices for Labor Day this year. Keep your fingers crossed that the trend continues as it could be good news for your winter trips. If I were you I'd be sure to keep an eagle-eye out for any prices to your holiday destinations. My guess is that if there are any deals to be had they'll be scooped up quickly by savvy travelers who are buying earlier and earlier.

So where are the deals right now? Well, I searched and found a few places where prices are down at least 8% making these destinations earn my hard-won BUY rating: Charleston, SC; Atlanta, GA; Phoenix, AZ; and San Diego, CA.

Beyond the deals this fall I know a lot of travelers are concerned with the state of things at airports, on the tarmac and in the skies. This was the worst summer for airline complaints on record according to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and a lot of that is due to the fact that so many people are flying and the air traffic system is out-dated and over-taxed. If you have a complaint, make sure that your voice is heard. This is a service industry and it's important to not only register your complaint (with the airline and the DOT) but also to keep that in mind for the next time you travel. You hold a lot of power by literally voting with your dollars.

As for tips, the best way to deal with crowded airports and trying to avoid delays is to be prepared. Whenever you can schedule your flight for the early morning, if you can the first flight out is best. Buy tickets that are on direct routes and avoid layovers. (Of course when you have to layover be sure to leave ample time to connect. I suggest at least 3 hours.) Last, be sure to pack snacks to bring with them with you when you head to the airport. While I can't guarantee any of this will make your flight on time, it will make your time easier.

And soon enough, I do hope for us all that flying will be fabulous.

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Posted in Air Travel, Travel News
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“I will drop you off at the first beach I see; I need to take a sleep. It will be better for me and much better for you!”

File that under Things You Never Want to Hear Your Boat Captain Say After an Alcohol-Soaked Lunch on Your Island Excursion. Three friends and I were staying on the island of Hvar, Croatia, for a week, and we’d decided to depart from our daily beach-lunch-beach routine to take an excursion to nearby Vis, the furthest island in the Middle Dalmatian chain. Vis is known for its unspoiled landscapes, quaint towns, and excellent gourmet specialties, and there was a man in our tiny fishing village who ran day-long excursions there for less than $100 per person. It seemed too good to be true. Turns out, it was.

We arrived on the morning of our excursion to board a small day boat with a single inboard engine and enough seating to accommodate 4-5 people comfortably. We settled in and spent our morning on a 2-hour ride to the island of Ravnik, where we swam into a geological wonder called the Green Cave, and a subsequent hour-long ride to Biševo, where we visited the glowing Blue Cave, one of Croatia’s deservedly famous natural attractions. We reached Vis just in time for a late lunch and enjoyed a spread of Croatian specialties (anchovies, black risotto, squid) at a breezy restaurant near quiet Komiža harbor. The day was perfect…until our captain ordered an extra carafe of the house white just for himself. Half an hour later, we were sailing away from Vis, and our questions about the duration of the ride home were met with the aforementioned response.

True to his word, our captain dumped us off at the first beach he saw, a seaweed-strewn sliver of stones crowned by the open end of a drainage pipe. Concerned mostly that he reach a lesser state of inebriation before driving us home, we bit our tongues, spread out our towels, and made the most of it. And it was little more than half an hour later that he climbed out of his sleeping nook and summoned us back to the boat. We set off again, tired and ready to be back at our rented villa, sharing a bottle of wine and watching the sun set. But our captain had other things in mind.

After an unexpected detour to see another beach (though it was getting too dark and chilly to stay), we set off on the ride home. With the sun quickly disappearing, the chill evening air and ocean spray had us huddled against the cabin of the boat (inside was the captain’s seat, a radio that appeared to be going in and out of power, and a grungy-looking sleeping nook filled with pillows, blankets, and all manner of bottles…unfortunate that we hadn’t noticed it at the beginning of the trip). And by the time we had rounded the corner of Vis into the Vis Channel, it was completely dark, but the moon was bright enough to illuminate the 10-foot waves crashing along the ocean as far as the eye could see.

The captain shut off the engine and summoned one of my friends into the cabin as the waves thrust the boat back and forth, leaving us gripping the sides of the cabin to remain upright. Slowly, he restarted the engine and pushed forward, steering the boat through waves bigger than any I’d ever been close to in my life. The three of us watched walls of water rush toward us, only to feel our boat steer up and over them at the last minute, throwing us from one side of the boat to the other. My other friend sat in the cabin, helping our captain to navigate, lighting his cigarettes, and pouring him cups of Southern Comfort unearthed from the sleeping nook. (“He asked. Anything to keep him happy so he’d get us home,” he explained later. We agreed.) At one point, my friend took the wheel while our captain fumbled with a headlamp that wouldn’t stay mounted on the front of the boat…and whose power came from a cigarette lighter. And did I mention that it was only at this point that we realized that no one had seen lifejackets anywhere on the boat?

For the next four hours, I went from thinking wryly, “Of course this happens to us,” to thinking desperately, “Please let us make it home,” as I gripped the sides of the boat and squeezed my eyes closed. My only consolation: at one point, I opened my eyes and looked up to find the most dazzling display of stars I have ever seen. The constellations—even ones I’d never seen in real life before—competed for attention like a classroom of precocious honor students, each one eager to be called on first. Scorpio coiled around a cluster of neighboring stars; the big and little dippers sparkled on opposite sides of the sky; and Orion stretched regally overhead and behind us. It was truly unforgettable.

We arrived back in our village shaken, cold, and soaked, but happy to be back on firm ground. And as we shared a much-needed bottle of wine upon our return home, it occurred to me: this is travel. It’s the mishaps, the unexpected moments, and yes, the near-death experiences that truly shatter your comfort zone and define what it is that makes travel so essential to life. Of course, I’d had three glasses of wine by then, but I stand firm. And I'm grateful that I'm able to.

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Posted in Security & Safety
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There's something about travel that imbues even those of us who always wear a seatbelt in the back of a cab and return our books to the library on time with a suddenly fearless sort of "now or never!" mentality that we'd never find present in ourselves at home. "Ah, when else am I going to swim with sharks / eat deep-fried grasshoppers / try skydiving?" we think to ourselves. "I'm on vacation! What can go wrong?"

Why, just last week, my boyfriend and I were cycling across a bridge in Banos, Ecuador, when a few men approached us with a rope and a harness and asked if we were interested in bungee jumping. I admit I just couldn't work up the nerve to voluntarily throw myself off a bridge---perhaps if the Macarena had been playing on a loop for the last six hours it would have been a different story---but Sean decided that bungee jumping in Ecuador was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And with only a fleeting thought as to how safe it might be, this impromptu act of kamikaze craziness, he paid the ten bucks and stepped into the harness.

He was fine, of course (I like to think it had something to do with all the fingers I crossed), but some people just aren't so lucky. Like poor Amber May White, for example, the 15-year-old girl who lost her life in a parasailing accident last month while on vacation with family friends in Pompano Beach, Florida. Her mother alleges that the reason for Amber May's death is that the parasailing industry is only very loosely regulated , meaning anyone with a rope, a boat, and a parachute could set up a parasailing business without having much of an idea of a) what they're doing and b) what might go wrong.

It follows, of course, that if the parasailing industry in Pompano Beach isn't regulated, then you can bet your bottom dollar that the bungee-jumping industry in a tiny town in South America probably isn't either. Thank goodness for lucky escapes.

Even I---a person who all but makes the designated driver take a breathalyser test before I'll get in a car with them at home---will quite willingly hop into cabs on vacation with very little regard of who's driving me, where they're going, and how many points they might have on their license already (assuming they even have a license, of course.) It's as if I think that the mere act of being on vacation is some sort of invisible full-body lifejacket, and that nothing will happen to me because, well, I paid an awful lot of money for a ticket to get here, and wouldn't it be an awful waste if it did?

This isn't a great way to think, of course, but safety concerns often get tossed in the trash with the last of that milk you don't want spoiling in your refrigerator when you go away, as if by turning the key in the lock, grabbing your suitcase, and running out to meet the waiting airport shuttle, you're shucking off your instinct of sensible self-preservation along with your worries about work. So all I ask is that perhaps next time a fun but potentially dangerous opportunity presents itself while we're on vacation, we should look before we leap. Quite literally, if it's bungee jumping we're talking about.

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Posted in Florida, Security & Safety, Ski & Sport, South America
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In my youth, I spent a good deal of time playing after-school sports on Randall’s Island in the shadows of Manhattan. On Sunday, however, I sat on the hay and grass field next to Icahn Stadium and took in some great music at Farm Aid. Though the spirit of most open-air concerts, particularly ones headed by Willie Nelson and promoting homegrown food, tends to be pretty friendly, I was still reminded of New York at another time. Immediately after 9/11, New York was transformed in so many ways: it was scarred, terrified, and numb. It was also friendly, kind, and supportive. While I witnessed the typical kindnesses amongst people at the concert—bumming cigarettes, sharing sunscreen, dancing, and chatting—it all felt reminiscent of those precarious days of aftermath when doors, along with handshakes, hugs, and goodbyes, were held for just a little bit longer.

I could complain about any number of things today, from sore muscles to the sheets of rain outside or even Sunday’s Giants loss. Then I stop. September 11 still has a gravity that pulls small problems to the bottom of a very deep hole. Sitting here in an office, one subway stop from the site, looking out of windows from which I should be able to see two huge buildings, six years feels like a very long time ago, but images of the day—photographs, stories, movie trailers even—still affect me.

Monday, after so many thousands of days trying to forget what happened, I decided I had to make some sort of peace. After work, I took a trip. It was about six minutes long, from Spring Street to World Trade on the E train. I arrived at Ground Zero and just gaped at what is now a site of construction and not the twisted metal destruction that once occupied the footprints. It is irrefutable that the huge hole in the earth and sky of my hometown has altered me, and everyone, in more profound ways than history will be able to define. A woman from out of town, carrying a camera and listening to a guide, put her hand on my shoulder as she walked away from her viewing point; a gesture that told me that people still share the experience, hoping to spread it thin over the population so as to alleviate the pain that is inevitable. I think that travel to Ground Zero is a testament to that.

Jaded though many people have become, I heard many different languages during my visit on Monday and was glad for it. On Sunday, I met people from all over the country who had traveled to see the concert. New York is still a destination, travel is still a passion. I wouldn’t refuse to fly today or take the subway or mingle with 25,000 fans. Forget what people say about the day. Forget what people say about the memorials, the commemorations, the services. Ignore negative sentiments. September 11th is a day that affects everyone, and in a different manner from the next person. Heal as you will, and if you can and, if anything, let the day remind you that it is important to get out and to experience other cultures and to befriend new people.

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Posted in New York City, Polls & Studies, Security & Safety
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Airports were difficult enough to navigate before security measures began to change from one trip—and one airport—to the next. Terror threats may never escape our minds or our headlines, but have they rendered air travel safer than ever or simply more confusing?

August saw some restrictions lifted as lighters and breast milk became permitted in carry-on luggage, and other measures tightened as DVD players and video game consoles became subjected to the same screening processes as laptop computers. Other practices changed, too; while the Transportation Security Administration says it does not conduct ethnic or religious profiling, it now warns that all head coverings face “the possibility of additional security screening.”

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member World_Explorer

Despite the TSA’s efforts, and a commendable record, it’s hard not to question the agency’s fluctuating measures at times (those 3-ounce containers, for example). I’m the last person to panic in any situation, but when I saw someone alert a TSA employee of an admittedly suspicious backpack left in the middle of the Atlanta airport last year, he told everyone to ignore it and walked away, presumably to screen bags. But then how diligently did the screening go? Überblogger Matt Mullenweg reports he was stopped only one of the four times last month that he traveled with a two-inch blade in his carry-on bag.

TSA head Kip Hawley echoes many travelers’ sentiments when he jokingly concedes in one enlightening interview that “screening ideas are indeed thought up by the Office for Annoying Air Travelers and vetted through the Directorate for Confusion and Complexity.” He goes on to explain the actual thought behind certain security regulations, but to what extent do you agree with his original statement? Which of today’s measures make perfect sense, and which are a waste of time?

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Posted in Air Travel, Security & Safety
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With the Western world’s growing leeriness of terrorism, many alluring destinations experiencing social unrest conjure up more fear than gusto. But how dangerous are these places, really?

Part of the equation depends on who you are, where you're from, and where you're going. A good friend of mine recently enjoyed a two-week vacation in Iran. She visited the mountain capital, Tehran, went to the awe-inspiring Persepolis ruins near Shiraz, and got a great tan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. I should mention that she's a second-generation Iranian-American, speaks fluent Farsi, and has family in Tehran. Even so, she was hassled regularly by both police and private citizens, mostly for being an improperly covered woman.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member writeonthespot.

Places like Dubai, on the other hand, have made foreign tourism a priority. With numerous luxury hotels and mansions lining the shores of the recently constructed Palm Islands, Dubai has successfully drawn in many Western tourists. Celebrities such as Michael Jackson, David Beckham, and Naomi Campbell are all rumored to have bought luxury vacation homes there. Still, the allure of Dubai remains limited because it is an Islamic emirate, part of the United Arab Emirates federation in the Middle East, and as such elicits wariness from some Western tourists (despite its being a relatively safe tourist destination).

The safety of other destinations varies according to what part of the country you decide to visit. The Philippines, for example, are in many ways a tourist's paradise. Beaches are gorgeous and pristine, local culture is lively and colorful, and English is widely spoken by friendly locals. Only certain areas of the Philippines, such as Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, are rife with religious violence, and should be avoided by foreign travelers.

It's best to do up-to-the-minute research if you feel your safety might be at risk. Check the State Department's Travel Warnings web site for current and comprehensive information. And keep in mind that traveling is always moderately risky, which is half the fun, right? I say avoid the most dangerous spots, but explore other outside-the-box locations to your heart's content as long as they’re relatively low-risk. What do you think?

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Posted in Asia, International Travel, Security & Safety
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When a passenger on Southwest Airlines was asked to deplane for wearing clothes a flight attendant deemed inappropriate, it got me thinking. Well actually, first it got me curious. What could this woman have been wearing that prompted her to be asked to leave a flight? I’ve seen some serious fashion faux pas in my travels – from people who refuse to travel in anything other than their pajamas (this includes my own brother by the way) to passengers wearing clothing that seems better suited to a poorly lit street corner than an airplane in broad daylight.

Kyla Ebbert was wearing a miniskirt, high heels, a tank top, and a sweater (See her in the same outfit she wore on the flight and hear her account of the story on MSNBC.com). Not my attire of choice for a flight (or any other time for that matter), but hardly offensive in an age where bellies and behinds are hanging out all over the place.

So what is appropriate attire for a flight? And does an airline (or in this case, flight attendant) have a right to make that decision? A provocatively dressed woman isn’t offensive to me and would have no impact on my flying experience. But what if another passenger was wearing a t-shirt with a racist or sexist saying on it? That would bother me – a lot. Still, I’m not sure it’s up to the airline to intervene.

The issue of appropriate dress is a good platform to discuss a larger issue: the fact that we live in a society that has become infinitely more causal in both dress and behavior in recent years. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece in late July about the difficulty hotels are experiencing getting guests to take off their bathrobes and put on regular clothes – even in the dining room and bar. What baffles me is that there are a significant number of people who think it is acceptable to appear in a public place in nothing but what amounts to a large towel.

Is it OK to wear your pajamas on a plane? Is it ok to go to the hotel bar in your bathrobe? You know what I think (sorry bro – I say no way) but what about you? Oh – and what do you think of Kyla's outfit?

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Posted in Air Travel, Travel News
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Before I travel, I look up the delicacies of the region I’m going to visit. I’ve eaten a Hot Brown in Kentucky, enjoyed escargot in France, and noshed on poutine in Montreal. But there are certain delicacies I just can’t stomach. I call them mind-block foods, and the list includes insects, certain organs, and animals considered members of the family in America. Beyond that, I try to keep an open mind. After all, I recently treated my coworkers to my dad’s famous boiled peanuts, and they’re not exactly an appealing-looking food.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Berg.

Lately, everywhere I go, people are talking about the TV show No Reservations featuring chef and author Anthony Bourdain. I caught a marathon last Saturday and was immediately hooked. As the host, Bourdain pushes the category of travel/food programming to new heights. He doesn’t just eat the local food, he explains what it tastes like, how it’s made, and its history. Not only will he sample all the dishes that feature prominently on my mind-block list, he’s honest about them. If the stinky tofu covered in a fluffy, white mold is actually kind of good, he’ll say so. If the $100-a-pound Shanghai Hairy Crab just tastes like any old crab, he’ll tell you to save your cash.

If you’re an intrepid food explorer, there are some great resources to check out. Chow has put together a list of the top 10 food museums in the world, including the likes of the Jell-O Museum in New York and the Cured Ham Museum in Spain. Food & Wine has released The Go List 2007 of the top restaurants in the world, from new and notable locations to beloved landmarks. And for all-American adventures, don’t forget Travelocity’s Local Secrets, Big Finds and Jane and Michael Stern’s Roadfood.

By the way, I’m off to Alaska this weekend. Is there any local delicacy I can’t miss?

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Posted in Culinary Travel, LSBF '07
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With the delays and cancellations that plagued the summer season, it’s likely that many travelers spent more time in airports than they wanted. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy a little extra downtime every once in a while – even if it means getting stuck in an airport for a few extra hours. After all, when else am I going to find time to do nothing other than read a book?

I realize that I'm probably in the minority with this admission, leaving me wondering where the extra time at the airport leaves those who aren’t as easily enthralled by a good read. Luckily, more and more airports are upping their standards to provide some much needed reprieve from delays.

My memory of being in airports as a kid takes me back to a time when they were just stops along the way, providing little entertainment for their captive audience of passengers. Even though I’ve always gotten a kick out of the convergence of people from different places and the excitement of going somewhere new, airports used to be, well, boring.

Now, many airports are starting to cater to the stranded traveler. Amenities such as spas, shopping, WiFi and local restaurants are popping up in terminals across the country, making that dreaded delay a little more bearable.

If I had to choose an airport to wait out a delay, it would have to be Dallas/Fort Worth’s Terminal D. The mosaics and sculptures that decorate this international terminal make it more art than airport, and the local cuisine makes this Texan feel right at home! (Try Cool River Cafe or Cousins BBQ, followed by a Texas-style wine tasting at La Bodega.)

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your next flight is running right on time. In the meantime, humor me: What is your favorite airport to wait out a delay?

Photo courtesy of DFW International Airport. Crystal Mountain, a original art piece by Dennis Oppenheim, is located in Terminal D, Gate 30.

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Posted in Air Travel, Dallas/Fort Worth, Holiday & Seasonal
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If you've ever done the Eurail trip through Europe, you know that train travel can be an adventure in and of itself. Now Europe has a new option. The high-speed Eurostar train that used to whisk you along from London to Paris in a sluggish three hours has now outdone itself. Today, a Eurostar train traveled between Paris and London in just two hours, three minutes, and 39 seconds, at one point reaching speeds of 186 miles per hour, according to ABC News.

For the record attempt today, the train had the track all to itself, and had stripped off unnecessary weight to achieve even more speed. Passengers will be able to have croissants and coffee in Paris and be in London for an early fish and chips lunch starting in mid-November, and should expect the journey to take a nice two hours and 15 minutes.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member monbryn.

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Posted in International Travel
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