A few weeks ago, Amy wrote about the spring break that wasn’t supposed to happen. You know; the one that travelers are still taking despite the drooping economy. Prices are up, but families are still getting out of town.

Being a traveler – and a budget traveler at that – I was inspired to dig up spring break travel inventory that is begging to be purchased. I wanted to see exactly where I could go (from San Francisco) for a few hundred bucks, and what I found was a list of seemingly lackluster places that travelers never wanted to visit. Well, until now.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Budget Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Last-Minute Travel
Email this | Comments (2)

Yesterday marked the official beginning of Chinese New Year. To many people, this late winter holiday means vibrant street festivities complete with fireworks, colorful dragon floats, and tasty Chinese goodies galore. To others, the term “Chinese New Year” barely rings a bell. But given the growing influence of Chinese culture, more people are learning about the holiday and making plans to participate in celebrations across the country and the world.

Let’s start with the basics. Chinese New Year takes place on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar, and as such is also called the Lunar New Year. The ancient Chinese believed that a man-eating beast called the Nián emerged from his lair each year on this day to prey on humans. Believing this beast to be sensitive to loud noises and the color red, the early Chinese frightened it away with fireworks and bright red colors. These customs eventually evolved into the scintillating celebrations we enjoy today.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member captain oddsocks.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Asia, California, Entertainment, Family & Kids, Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal, International Travel, London, New York City, Shopping
Email this | Comments (2)

Happy Holidays! Is it just me, or does it seem that New Year’s Eve tends to be a let down if only because the night is so hyped? There are always years when New Year’s is a little more of a rockin’ Eve than others. I know of some people who will be going to pretty amazing places, while I will be heading to a wedding in a city with a slightly less raucous reputation. That said, I am heading to a wedding which will combine all the best parts of New Year’s Eve—friends, dancing, and champagne—with the celebratory emphasis placed squarely where it should be: on the bride and groom.

The New Year symbolizes so much; January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, whose likeness was carved into doorways as a representation of coming and going, old and new. So, it makes sense, then, that now is the time to consider where one will travel. It is now when people decide to take a trip sometime over the next 12 months.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member stomps

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (2)

As I’m swapping Christmas gifts today, I’m thinking more about my next caipirinha than my next eggnog; tonight I’ll pack my bags for Brazil, off to spend New Year’s in Rio de Janeiro on my first trip to South America.

This will also be my first New Year’s Eve in a distant locale, but I’ve always loved celebrating holidays in new places, so I’m banking on it being special. Among my favorites were two Easters in France (despite being stampeded by umbrella-wielding throngs outside Notre-Dame), and I’m always intrigued to hear about others’ holiday travels—windows into other cultures seem to be particularly clear on special days.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Shaken_Bake

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Polls & Studies
Email this | Comments (1)

Everywhere I go these days, people are asking me if I've finished my holiday shopping. The answer? A resounding no. I'm not doing all that badly though---as of this morning, I've only got one more present to buy. But since I've scoured every shop in San Francisco to find something suitable---and my Friday night flight home looms ever near---I'm gradually realizing that my only other option may just be to buy something at the airport.

Don't laugh! It's not what you're thinking, I promise. In fact, airport shopping has come a long way since the days of old, when you'd be lucky if you could scrounge up a tacky souvenir keyring and the latest issue of People magazine as an impromptu present. These days, you can actually find a remarkably nice holiday gift if you've got a half hour between check-in and boarding. Read on for the top five ideas.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (2)

Last year, I spent Christmas Eve getting packages in order, chattering excitedly about the big day ahead, and drifting off to sleep way past my bedtime. Come Christmas Day, though, you wouldn’t find me opening presents by a tree or singing carols with the folks. Instead, I boarded a plane with four friends and spent the holidays in Paris, thousands of miles away.

Although I wasn’t contemplating it while catching snowflakes underneath the spires of Notre-Dame, my choice of holiday was more typical of gay men and lesbians of my age and economic status than I had imagined. Google “gay Christmas travel”, and you’ll be inundated with ads pitching everything from Vegas getaways to tropical cruises. There’s a huge market catering to those of us who are often disinclined to spend the holidays with family--indeed, to those of us who often can’t.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member kwasiak.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Gay & Lesbian Travel, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (2)

With the holiday season in full swing, gift shopping underway (well, almost), and my annual hometown pilgrimage upcoming, I’ve had one thing on my mind: family. It’s the time of year when travel means family travel: how to keep the kids entertained, the parents happy, the siblings living harmoniously, and yourself sane. It can take some serious maneuvering.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member C.Kowalczik

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Family & Kids, Florida, Holiday & Seasonal, Theme Parks
Email this | Comments (0)

Calling all Thanksgiving travel warriors!

You braved the crowds, went shoeless through the x-ray machines, ate the airport food, and spent untold hours doing sudoku in the stratosphere--all for some cranberries, turducken, and a lipstick print on the cheek from Grandma.

Since we were so busy at the nation’s top airports reporting on travel conditions last week, now it's your turn. We want to hear your stories, so please tell us how it all went.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member MilwVon.

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (4)

The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are traditionally the two busiest travel days of the year, but if Wednesday indicates what is to come today, then holiday road warriors can expect smooth travels at the nation’s top airports.

As part of Thanksgiving Task Force, I camped out at Los Angeles International (LAX) to monitor holiday crowd conditions earlier this week, and what I observed surprised me. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, ticket counter and security lines operated with few hiccups, despite the increased traffic on those days. Although the sheer number of families traveling was evidence that the holiday travel rush had begun, even Thanksgiving Eve was slower than expected with security lines between 10-15 minutes most of the day.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force will be stationed at 10 of the nation's top airports, relaying important travel information to holiday road warriors on Nov. 20-21. To view up-to-the-minute flight status and security wait times from your movile device, go to mobile.travelocity.com.

For me, the Thanksgiving travel season officially started today, and it's evident that it began for many other holiday travelers as well. I'm no stranger to this busy season, so I did my best to anticipate and thwart off any problems that could arise ahead of my travels. Expecting holiday crowds at SFO, even on a typically uneventful Sunday, I scheduled my Super Shuttle pick-up a little earlier than normal. I also packed light and strategically, only taking one carry-on and a laptop bag to ensure that my luggage wouldn't be lost.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

On Thursday, President Bush announced a plan to reduce congestion in the skies over the Thanksgiving weekend. The plan, which opens up designated military airspace to commercial airlines, has been dubbed the “Holiday Express Lane.”

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member rokiss.ch.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Travel News
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

T'is the season for me to get up early. Today I was on the Today Show advising people on how to make their thanksgiving and holiday travels easier. According to the Air Transit Association there are going to be 27 million people traveling over the next twelve days, that's up 4% over last year. As you can imagine there are going to be some seriously big crowds at the airports this year. (And you thought it was crowded last year!) Last month Amtrak reported record high travel for the railroad this year. Seats can be hard to find on holidays no matter what mode of transit you're taking and this time of year the highways are packed too. The good news is with a little preparation all of your travels can be made a lot easier.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Car Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '07, Trip Tips
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

If you’re anything like me, you’re used to hearing your family fuss over Thanksgiving details. From whose in-laws to visit to what kind of cranberry sauce works best (I prefer the chunky homemade kind), there’s always something piffling to stress about. But what if you were to skip out on all of that Thanksgiving hoopla for a relaxing getaway in the Bahamas instead?

For many gay men and lesbians around the country, there isn’t always much choice in the matter. Gay people often have strained relationships with their families, which makes attending--or bringing partners to--traditional holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or even Mother’s Day, a whole new can of worms.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member shepherd333.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Gay & Lesbian Travel, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

We all have favorite movies that we answer when people ask, and favorite movies that are for more private consumption. For me, that movie is Home Alone. And the dorkiest reason why I love New York is that, during the holidays, the city is very reminiscent of the sequel to that movie—which I also love.

So I was relieved to discover that other people appreciate how Home Alone 2: Lost in New York lends itself to tourism and that organized tours of Central Park actually market sites from the movie as part of their itineraries.

Whether your idea of a holiday classic is It’s a Wonderful Life or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, here’s a rundown of ways you can celebrate the holiday season on celluloid—and get out of town:

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member RoBoNC

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Entertainment, Holiday & Seasonal, New York City, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (0)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

When a giant cargo ship crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of oil into one of the nation’s top tourist attractions last week, the volunteer response was so overwhelming that wannabe do-gooders had to be turned away from the oil-slicked beaches.

The busiest travel time of the year may be best known for frosty snowmen and red-nosed reindeer, but--as the Bay Area so amply demonstrated--‘tis also the season of giving. A Travelocity poll shows 11% of travelers planned to volunteer during their vacations in 2007. Also known as voluntourism, these trips can run the gamut from working with orphaned children in Ghana, to saving Costa Rican sea turtles, to just cleaning up a local park.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Jose Kevo.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (1)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

You’re all familiar, I’m sure, with the idea that it’s after the holidays that you most need, well, a holiday. This year, nip that feeling in the bud by taking advantage of the low prices, nonexistent crowds, and empty flights that reign during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And since the impending holiday stress already has you on the verge of a nervous breakdown (it’s okay; I’m right there with you), I’ve lined up the best places to escape during the mid-holiday lull; all you have to do is pluck one from the list.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (1)

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

As the shopping frenzy ensues on Black Friday, I will be lounging around the house eating leftover turkey and pumpkin pie. My holiday shopping is going to have to wait a week, but my procrastination is justified. Trust me, for this shopaholic to put off a trip to the mall, the reason is a good one. I’m contemplating taking advantage of the good travel deals that I’m seeing the week after Thanksgiving to do my shopping in a different destination.

Photo Courtesy of IgoUgo member Miss Erika.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Shopping, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (3)

For the seventh consecutive year, Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force will be stationed at the nation’s top airports, relaying pertinent travel information to holiday road warriors. Bookmark this page and check back on Nov. 20-21 to get hourly updates on security and check-in wait times, parking, delays and other information relating to these top airports:

• Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL)
• Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
• Dallas Forth Worth International (DFW)
• Denver International (DEN)
• Las Vegas McCarran (LAS)
• Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Miami International (MIA)
• New York LaGuardia (LGA)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
• Washington D.C. (DCA)

Even if you’re not heading through one of these airports, check back for tips and advice on how to make your travels smoother for Thanksgiving and beyond during Holiday Week (Nov. 12-16) on The Window Seat.

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (0)

At last, fall has blown in like a much needed cool breeze and travel life has resumed to a more relaxed, more normal flow. Even the on-time performance levels are looking better recently. We travelers tend to think normal is always better because those pesky families and kids are back to school and our airports are largely dominated by well-heeled travelers like us who know the ropes and can handle the routine more adeptly.

But I've been thinking that perhaps our definition of normal is not quite right. Perhaps the norm should really be these holidays that bring out the masses. With the biggest travel days of the year just weeks away I've asked other travelers what they think of the current state of air travel.

What I found was a little frightening. Many air travelers are not in sync with what is really happening out there. One glaring example is that only 2% of respondents say they expect delays after security and yet one in four flights are delayed. Another finding showed that the majority of respondents considered more than a half an hour to be excessive waiting time. Though there is no official tracking of how long people wait for any given flight, most airlines pad their schedules and can therefore make up for a limited amount of waiting without being officially "delayed." Yet these days, I consider a half an hour of waiting likely. (See complete poll results.)

Photo provided by IgoUgu member MichaelJM

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Polls & Studies, Travel News
Email this | Comments (0)

For all the wonderful things the holidays bring (time with family and friends, snow, and mistletoe among them), Thanksgiving and Christmas also bring with them a lot of stress, especially for travelers. You probably got the memo about the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving being the busiest travel days of the year, but just avoiding those days does not a stress-free trip make.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Trip Tips
Email this | Comments (0)

November always serves as somewhat of a wakeup call for me. It’s the gateway to the busiest travel season of the year and my cue to get last minute holiday travel preparations underway. Being the planning type, I purchased my Thanksgiving ticket from SFO to DFW long before the leaves began to turn in any part of the northern hemisphere. But, many would-be Turkey Day travelers have procrastinated, and when you’re talking about booking a flight for your holiday travels, time is money. We’re exactly three weeks from the big day, and ticket prices are only going to go up from here.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Thanksgiving '07
Email this | Comments (0)

Feel like going to Hell today? Hell, Michigan, that is---a town about 20 miles outside of Ann Arbor, whose ice cream parlor welcomes visitors with flavors like "scaramel" and "buttersnot." No? Too much for you? Well, what about Half Hell, North Carolina?That shouldn't be quite so full of fire and brimstone.

If there's ever a day to pay homage to a town with a spooky name---and trust me, there are plenty; in fact there's probably one just a few hours' drive from wherever you are---Halloween would be the day. What about Devil Town, Ohio? Devil's Backbone, Connecticut? Or how about visiting another part of the devil's anatomy entirely and heading up to Devil's Elbow in California's Colusa county? And for something a little different, there's always Satan's Kingdom, Vermont.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (4)

There’s something about October. Though I love the triumphant blooming of spring, the snowy days of winter, and the heated energy of summer (provided the heat index is below 90), it’s the slow unfurling of fall that unleashes this little current of bliss in me. As green turns to a kaleidoscope of gold and crimson; the air turns chilly and crisp; and Duane Reade stocks its annual mishmash of Halloween candy, rubber spiders, and superhero masks, I start doing all sorts of ridiculous things, like sighing dramatically (and audibly) at the autumn sunshine; exclaiming 45 times a day to whomever will listen that I love this weather; going for long walks from which I return with a collection of beautiful fallen leaves that I have no idea what to do with; baking. October is my golden hour.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, New York City
Email this | Comments (3)

Breakfast at Tartine in San Francisco’s Mission District is a journey--its flaky pastries and café au lait transport you to Paris the instant they touch your lips. On a foggy morning, I met there over the most beautiful and butterscotch-ey bread pudding to be regaled by travel tales and discuss this winter’s hottest food trends with Jen Catto, Travel Director of Gourmet Magazine.

Jen had recently returned from a trip to France in which she tried something she never had before. On the beaches of Brittany at this time of year, large amounts of algae wash up onto shore. It used to be that this algae was only used for bath salts, but local restaurants in St. Malo made the algae into a butter and then used this butter to prepare fish. The aromatic and briney taste that resulted is something that could only come from that particular region, anchoring the dining experience firmly and wonderfully in France at that season and place.

Photo courtesy of Jen Catto.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Culinary Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, LSBF '07, Travel News
Email this | Comments (5)

As a seasoned San Franciscan, I can tell you a lot about the Golden Gate Bridge. I can also talk your ears off on the subjects of crooked Lombard Street, funky Haight-Ashbury, our fleet of highly polished retro-chic cable cars, or even eccentric local legends Emperor Norton and Frank Chu.

My grasp of San Francisco lore unravels, though, once the subject turns toward the city’s spookier aspects (excepting, of course, the infamous Zodiac Killer. He’s got his own blockbuster film, after all). Otherwise, I don’t know much about the haunted parts of the Bay Area. Ghosts, ghouls, and graveyards--this fascinating side of the city always seem to come alive as Halloween approaches at this dark time of year.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member kona.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in California, Educational & Historic, Entertainment, Family & Kids, Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal, Louisiana, New Orleans, San Francisco
Email this | Comments (3)

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.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Air Travel, Dallas/Fort Worth, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (5)

Chances are you’re hitting the road or taking to the skies this weekend. If you’ve had a summer full of weekend getaways like me, you’re probably having mixed emotions. Labor Day is always good for a little R&R (after all, the holiday is all about honoring workers) but because we travelers have come to associate it with the end of summer and the end of our carefree escapes, it’s a little sad too.

But don’t think of Labor Day as the end of summer – think of it is the beginning of an autumn filled with travel possibilities. The Wall Street Journal reports that the week after Labor Day marks the beginning of the off season (read: deals). That’s just one reason why the end of the summer can be a good thing.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (1)

If you read Genevieve’s last post (and I hope you did!), you’ll know the difference between those who feel that summer means vacation and those who don’t. Like Ms. Brown, I am of the former category. Whether it is a hardwired impulse or simply a remnant of schooldays when warm weather and responsibility were inversely proportional, I can’t help but get restless when the days are long and the breeze blows balmier. To be honest, I’m on vacation now! This year, as we’ve done for the last 25 Augusts, my family and I put some time aside, drop just about everything, and go to Nantucket. That’s right, I’m on vacation right now. Of course, I have used just about all my vacation days to do it, so don’t be too jealous (though I just came in from the beach).

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member richardhall99.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Beaches, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (2)

As far as holidays are concerned, the Fourth of July ranks up there with Halloween and my birthday. (Basically, I like anything that involves parties or presents.) So today is a big day for me, especially since it’s my first year to spend the 4th in my new hometown of San Francisco. Heck, I even bought a new outfit!

For San Franciscans, the Fourth can be either the best celebration on earth or a complete and total flop, depending on whether or not the fog rolls in to block your view of the fireworks. I’ll be spending my night at a party in Fort Mason, watching a few bands and celebrating the 4th in style. (And by that, I mean that I got a really cute outfit!) With a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the East Bay, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a clear night and a good view.

When the rockets red glare this July 4, where will you be celebrating?

Photo Courtesy of IgoUgo member mtemail.

Back to Main
Posted in Holiday & Seasonal, San Francisco
Email this | Comments (1)

Growing up “inside the beltway” made me a shameless Fourth of July snob. I thought nothing in the U.S.A. could possibly compare to the Nation’s Capital celebration, and each year, I’d put on my best red, white, and blue outfit for the occasion. Over picnic punch and popsicles, I’d commune with the D.C. monuments on the Mall waiting for the moment when that first star would rise above the “big pencil” to usher in the mother ship of Independence Day fireworks shows.

And then, one Independence Day I found myself in a car on the Big Island of Hawaii, my dad at the wheel. We were racing to a fireworks show by the beach and were too late to make it—I could hear that telltale rumble-pop. So my dad pulled over, and we discovered that if we went about mid-way through an adjacent pineapple field, we could see the show. Although it wasn’t what we had planned, it was absolutely perfect, and I realized it was indeed possible to get my patriotic pulse a’racing outside The District.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member BawBaw.

Read more»

Back to Main
Posted in Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal
Email this | Comments (4)