Friday, July 29, 2005

Best Mileage-Earning Credit Cards

Just returned from my East Coast getaway and had a fantastic time. Great weather. Great friends. Great memories. I used frequent flyer miles earned through my credit card for my plane trip to Boston...a big cost savings in the expensive summer vacation months. But it got me to thinking: am I getting the best deal from my credit card, or are there better choices out there? Gary Leff, in his excellent
View from the Wing BLOG, offers this very complete answer.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

The Travel Coach: On Vacation

With all my talk of travel, I thought it was time to take a little vacation for myself. So I'm off for a little R&R in Provincetown. I'll be back next week with more travel tips. Until then...

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Outsmarting "Sneaky" Flight Searches

I came across a question on the Travel Carnival, originally asked on Nathan's Archive blog. But before I give my answer, here's a little background. In case you didn't know it, the "biggie" travel search sites sneak a cookie into your web browser that lets their booking systems know when you've last visited the site, and even details your specific travel search. Why is that such a big deal? Because with that cookie, the site knows if you've been searching for a particular fare and can alter the results it ultimately shows you based on that information. I don't have scientific proof, but my experience has shown that the fare can actually get a bit higher with every search. Or you may not be offered the lower price should a fare go down for some reason. I guess the airlines figure you're a serious shopper and that you'll probably jump at the higher fare as you see it start inexplicably going up and up. So how can you combat this "sneaky" practice? When you're ready to make a final travel purchase, simply delete the cookies from your browser before doing a search so you appear to be a "new" user of the site. Even Frommer's Budget Travel suggests this procedure. Deleting cookies is usually done from the Preferences menu of your browser under the "Privacy" section. Search the Help for your browser for specific cookie deletion instructions. Sneaky, huh?

Friday, July 15, 2005

Ride off into the Sunset

I ran into a friend on the street about a week ago, and we got to talking about our recent vacations (naturally). I really enjoy talking travel with this guy because we seem to be on the same wavelength when it comes to the types of trips we enjoy, and the delight we take in discovering unusual destinations. But when he sheepishly told me one of his favorite resources for travel ideas, I had to admit it was a "secret" resource of mine, too: Sunset Magazine! Yes, THAT Sunset Magazine, the old standby publication that focuses on gardening, craft and home projects for families in the West. It's kind of like admitting you subscribe to Reader's Digest for its great literary content, or get Playboy for the articles. But Sunset actually has a fantastic travel section that's filled with terrific weekend getaway ideas, cool day trips, and oddball sights in California, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Rockies and Hawaii. Even if you don't live in the West (which makes it sound like we all wear cowboy hats, spurs, and carry six-shooters), Sunset will provide you with lots of vacation ideas for years to come. With a year's subscription for just $9, it's a real travel bargain.

Monday, July 11, 2005

Travel with a (Life) Purpose

Sometimes in my online travel meanderings, I discover something so exciting, it brings my web surfing to a dead stop. And that's exactly what happened when I stumbled upon The Big Stretch on i-escape.com. Here's a British-based company that manages to combine all of my passions (traveling, coaching, self improvement, creativity) and background into one incredible travel experience. I have to admit I'm a bit jealous I didn't think of it first.

Held in the Pico Mountains in northern Spain, the Big Stretch is a unique walking holiday that combines the great outdoors with intensive group and individual life coaching. During a 7-day hiking retreat, experienced Big Stretch coaches help participants focus on important issues in their lives, helping them formulate new ideas, make solid plans, and even totally shift life directions.

Sounds like VERY powerful stuff.

I'm looking forward to learning more about
Big Stretch and its approach by attending one of the company's intensive 2-day training sessions in London for coaches. Hmmm, maybe my dream of becoming an actual Travel Coach somehow wasn't such a crazy idea after all.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Old Cape Cod


I'm always anxious to visit new places so I can add the proverbial new notch to my travel belt. But there's one place I revisit again and again: Provincetown, Massachusetts. There's just something magical about the place to me. Sure, it's a quaint town with tons of character, art galleries and shopping. Sure, there are gorgeous beaches and secluded dunes. And sure, it's packed with a diverse crowd of gay men and women strolling the streets along with straight families. And I love if for all those reasons. But there's something else about P-town that calls me back again and again. I've given up trying to figure it out. I've given into this love and make a point to visit at least once a year. I'm smitten! This year, I'll be making my annual pilgrimage from July 21-25...just a short trip, but enough to satisfy my Provincetown itch for awhile.

Provincetown is literally at the end of the world (or at least the tip of Cape Cod), but it's relatively easy to reach. After flying into Boston on an overnight flight, it's just a short subway or cab ride to the nearest ferry landing. Two companies,
Bay State Cruises and Boston Harbor Cruises, offer fast ferry service from downtown Boston right to the docks of Provincetown. In just 1.5 hours after leaving Beantown, you'll be strolling Commercial Street in Provincetown! It sure beats a 2+ hour car drive (without traffic).

Once you get to Provincetown, there are tons of guesthouses, hotels, condos and houses you can rent. But snagging a space in the height of the summer season can be a bit...challenging...and expensive. Most rentals have a 7-day minimum during July and August, but you might find a flexible owner. Two good rental organizations with lots of inventory are
We Need a Vacation, and Cyberrentals. Decide whether you want to stay in the East End (quieter with all the galleries) or the West End (a little more lively, with most of the retail stores, and closer to the beach). There are too many guesthouses to name here, but just do a Google search, and you're sure to find one in your price range. As for the beach, the main gay beach, Herring Cove, is about a mile or so from the center of town. Which is why you'll want to rent a bike while you're there. Plus there's a fantastic bike trail through the dunes of the National Seashore...not to be missed.

I could go on and on and on about all the great things about Provincetown, but it's best if you discover it for yourself. I bet you fall in love, too.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Coast-to-Coast for a Song

Great news for San Francisco travelers: the hip, low-cost spinoff of Delta airlines, Song, has just announced daily nonstop flights from SFO to New York's JFK airport. Finally, we don't have to schlep across the Bay Bridge to Oakland to fly JetBlue. Plus Song will be adding nonstop SFO to Boston flights starting in September! Perfect for those trips back East to visit Provincetown. Fares look great right now: $144 o/w to NYC. Read the entire story from the SF Chronicle.