Expedia's 24-Hour Sale is On Today!

We have scored some phenomenal sales with Expedia's 24-hour sale in the past. It's hard to predict exactly which hotels will be covered but you're sure to find a good range of hotels on sale wherever you're going. We've saved anywhere from 10 to 50% of published prices, to Caribbean all-inclusives, five-star resorts, great hotels in Europe, Canada and right here in the US, so if you're planning a trip in the foreseeable future, go check it out before it ends tonight at 11:59 pst.

The Major Frequent Flyer Program Alliances and Their Partners

All major airlines have some sort of loyalty, or frequent flyer program where you can earn various levels of status and privileges based on how many miles you accumulate. In addition. Most of them have partner airlines with whom you can also earn mileage. The miles you earn, serve 2 purposes: one, they can be used for earning free reward tickets, and two, you accumulate 'Elite Miles' towards achieving Elite Status, which allows you varying levels of perks depending on which level you attain. Generally, there are 3 levels of Elite Status; silver, gold and platinum, on most. When you have Elite Status within your own airline's frequent flyer program, their partners will also acknowledge your status so your perks and benefits are portable.

In deciding which frequent flyer program to join, you should start by considering which airline best serves the areas you tend to travel to and from, and also, who their partners are. Below is a list of 3 major frequent flyer program alliances, and their partner airlines:


SKYTEAM

• Aeroflot
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Alitalia
• China Southern
• Continental (only until October 24, 2009)
• Copa Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Delta
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Northwest

STAR ALLIANCE

• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air New Zealand
• ANA
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian
• BMI
• Continental (starting October 24, 2009)
• Egyptair
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines
• South African Airways
• Spanair
• SWISS
• TAP Portugal
• THAI
• Turkish Airlines
• United
• US Airways

ONE WORLD ALLIANCE

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• LAN
• Malev
• Qantas
• Royal Jordanian

Eat Lunch Like a New Yorker, at Rafiqi's

If you really want to eat like a New Yorker, consider getting your lunch at Rafiqi's, a street cart vendor serving up middle eastern food from 19 different corners throughout Manhattan (see yelp for current locations). Not only is the food tasty and popular with locals, but it is arguably one of the cheapest lunch deals in Manhattan with several options under $5 (my personal favorite is the chicken & lamb combo platter for $5.50). They are usually open for business from about 11am-4pm on weekdays. Beverages are also available, but seating, of course, is not.

Photo of the Week: Manuel Antonio Beach in Costa Rica

Playa Manuel Antonio is described as one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. It is located in Manuel Antonio National Park, which is a charming combination of rainforests, beaches and coral reefs. The rainforest is home to sloths, iguanas, rare squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little Halloween Crabs; so named for their orange and black coloring.

Manuel Antonio Beach can be found after a short walk through the rainforest, which is the lush background to its aquamarine waters and white, powdery sand. There, the sandy shore is wide and deep enough to spread out for ample privacy, and the numerous coral reefs allow for excellent snorkeling.

About an hour's drive from the main international airport in San Jose, Manuel Antonio is the logical first stop on a trip to this wonderfully diverse, and beautiful country

Travel Tunes: I'm Yours

If there is a soundtrack to visiting Hawaii, this is one song that I would put on it: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. If you haven't heard this song it is just down right infectious, and really has a Hawaiian feel to it. ("I'm Yours" Video.)


I'm Yours has, not surprisingly, also been a huge hit in Hawaii, and in our visit in May of this year, we heard it playing everywhere... on the radio, in the ABC stores, and by every street musician in Waikiki. Jason Mraz is a big fan of Hawaii and you can see the influence on the song as he filmed the video in Oahu and Kauaui and included Hawaiian back-up singers on the album version, and it even sounds great on the ukulele. The song though is technically a reggae rhythm and this is perhaps one of the strongest elements in giving it its island feel. It is also is hard not to like the Trilby hat wearing, avocado farm owning, and juggling Jason Mraz (read more in this interview). He seems to live a lifestyle that emulates the easy-going, laid-backness that permeates Hawaii.

Originally released in 2005, the song has had quite a bit of longevity. As of August, 2009, it has spent 70 weeks on the Hot 100, breaking the record for most weeks on the chart; it is the third best selling digital song of all time in the US, with more than 4.4 million paid downloads, and it has been on the top of the adult contemporary charts for more than a year.

You may have noticed that it was the background music in the trailer for "A Perfect Getaway". We saw it and not only is the song not actually in the movie, the "twist" ending is really just kind of lame. Save your money and just get the song. If you don't have it already, you can get an mp3 of the I'm Yours single at Amazon , or get the whole album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things (I also really like Lucky a duet with Colbie Caillat). You can also get the lyrics to I'm Yours here.

Best Public Beach in New York? Robert Moses State Park

Admittedly, when you think beach, New York is probably not the first place that pops into your mind. There are actually quite a few beaches within the borders of NYC, though none really qualifies as notable, and, honestly, contamination and dangerous rip tides are an ongoing concern. However, New Yorkers, who enjoy a good beach, know that they don't have to travel too far outside of the city to get to one of the best beaches in the northeast and arguably in the US.

Robert Moses State Park, is an 875-acre (3.54 km sq.) park in Babylon, NY (in southern Suffolk County). It is on the western end of Fire Island which is one of the central barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island (view google map). There are plenty of beaches on the south shore of Long Island, e.g Jones Beach and Long Beach, but what makes Robert Moses in particular so noteworthy? Foremost, it is really a beautiful beach. OK, the water is not as picturesque as the Caribbean or Hawaii, but there are very few places on earth that can lay claim to sand that is in such a perfect state of erosion. It feels great under your feet. The shore line is not at all rocky, which is an unwanted feature of many beaches in the northeast. It is also in a very serene location. You will not see any tall buildings or homes from the beach, the vistas are amazing, and it seems very, very distant from the hustle and bustle of NYC. Because of its distance from the city, it also tends to get a little less traffic than other beaches. It is truly the perfect day escape from NYC.

The water is warmest in August, usually by the second or third week. Though not a problem this year, August is also usually a peak time for jellyfish in the area - so be careful. Note that pets and alcohol are not allowed on the beach; and the police patrol the beaches on dune buggies regularly, explicitly looking for these infractions. There are several different beaches to choose from (a.k.a. fields). We have found fields 4 & 5 to be less crowded, though field 5 is sometimes closed due to ongoing beach erosion.

When we go, we tend to make a day of it and cap it off with a nice seafood dinner. Food is also available at each of the field houses, but why eat a hot dog when you can have some of the best seafood on the eastern seaboard? There are plenty of places to choose from, but the two we have personally visited and thoroughly enjoyed are Legal Seafoods in Huntington and Peter's Clam House in Island Park. In addition to the beach, you may want to also check out the lighthouse, and if you one to squeeze in a bit of pseudo-golf the Pitch and Putt, which is actually in a wooded area and quite scenic. Also, Fire Island in general is known for it's nude beaches so be forewarned or take this as an opportunity to check them out.

For the history buffs out there, this is the oldest state park on Long Island. Originally named Fire Island State Park, it was renamed for Robert Moses and is one of 2 state parks to bear this name (the other being Robert Moses State Park - Thousand Islands). If you haven't already, definitely check out The Power Broker which chronicles the impact that Robert Moses had on New York State and the national park system in general - though I assure you that you won't be able to finish it in one sitting; it's quite a thick book.

The park is accessible by car from the Robert Moses Causeway, and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and vehicle fees vary by season ($8.00 peak, $6.00 off-peak). (Get driving directions here.) Folks aged 62 and over are eligible for free entry during weekdays (holidays excluded) with their NYS driver's license. This beach and others are also accessible via public transportation (more info here) so it is quite tourist friendly, though not many tourists seem to make the trip out. If you are in the NY area in the summer, and haven't been, you don't know what you are missing.

Unlimited One-Month Travel Pass on Jet Blue

I am not sure how this flew under our radar, but Jet Blue was offering a one-month unlimited travel pass for $599 that would have allowed you to fly as many times as you wanted to any of the 600 cities that they service including international destinations! (Click here to see which routes they service.) International fees were not included in the promotion so it could have gotten a bit pricier if you were planning to jet down to the Caribbean, but all domestic fees were covered. Alas, JetBlue has stopped selling the passes as it seemed to have become much more popular than they anticipated.

Although we are not a big fan of Jet Blue's airmiles program, since they have no reciprocity with other airlines and all of their airmiles expire after 12 months (terrible, really), this was an awesome deal in its own right and one that we would have surely jumped at if it were still available. Given the popularity of this offer, one has to imagine that they will resurrect this promotion again in some format.... and perhaps some other airlines will get competitive and roll out similar offers. We can only hope.

Hidden Gem: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is an easy city to stereotype, so I really was not expecting much when I visited recently. Pittsburgh conjures images of steelworkers and burly football fans, coal mines, smokestacks and steel production plants, railroads and robber barrons, and perhaps even a few slam-dunking fish. However, after spending a few moments in Pittsburgh, it is immediately apparent that tucked away in the western part of Pennsylvania is a hidden gem.

One of the first things that you will notice about Pittsburgh is that it has a magnificent, photogenic skyline which looks great from a number of angles. For a particularly good view of the city, take one of two funiculars (cool, old, ski-lift like trams) to the top of Mt. Washington. Another thing you will quickly notice is that it is a city surrounded by bridges, hence Pittsburgh's other moniker, "City of Bridges", which is befitting for a city that is triangular in shape and bordered by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers (that then form the Ohio River).

Once you have had a chance to walk around Pittsburgh, you will see that the architecture too is also a pleasant surprise that is not at all dominated by its industrial past and actually quite unique and captivating. Two buildings of note are One PPG Place, which literally resembles a castle complete with turrets, and one of the Midtown Towers buildings which looks like it is capped with a velvet crown. Walking around downtown is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of interesting architecture.

Pittsburgh has a number of good museums, but if you can only see one, make sure it is the Warhol Museum, and be sure to check out the Silver Clouds exhibit which gets a lot of praise from visitors. The nightlife in Pittsburgh also has a lot to offer. There is a great selection of bars and restaurants to choose from throughout the city, but some notable places to find them are in the Strip District, the Waterfront, the South Side, and the North Shore. Pittsburgh folks enjoy live music so you will find much of it at many of their restaurants and bars. The new Rivers Casino which just opened in August is one of the latest hot spots and also a great place to spend an evening.

There are plenty of hotels in and around downtown, but I personally stayed at the Omni William Penn and can vouch that it is a top tier hotel, especially if you enjoy old world charm and impeccable service. It is the perfect location to set up your base for seeing the city and is very convenient to the Lawrence Convention Center. Word on the street is that the Westin, also located nearby, is a good place to stay too, if you prefer something more modern.

There is, of course, much more than this to Pittsburgh, but this is what stood out for me on a short two day trip. For more information, check out the Visit Pittsburgh website, and, of course, give us a shout below if you know of any other must sees in Pittsburgh, and, or have any good restaurant and hotel recommendations.

What to do With Your 25k Miles: Getting the Most for your AirMiles

By now, hopefully you have opened your Chase account and are happily waiting for your easy 25K miles to be deposited into your Continental OnePass account. Now comes the fun part-- planning where to go with your reward ticket. What can you do with your 25,000 miles you wonder? Well, 25k is the minimum number of miles needed for a reward ticket for travel within the US and to Canada. We like to get more mileage for our airmiles so we think a free ticket to Alaska, British Columbia, California and Washington State (or wherever happens to be furthest from where you are) make the most sense, or just to any destination for which tickets tend to be pricier. For instance, Jackson Hole, Wyoming is not as far as Seattle, Washington for us (we are in New York City) but tickets are usually quite a bit pricier, so that would be a great place to use a reward ticket for. We wouldn't be likely to use a reward ticket for a popular route like Miami because that would really only be a savings of about $160. But using it to go to Vancouver, makes that reward ticket worth over $500 to us!

If you're willing to wait until you get to 35k miles, then you'll have enough for destinations in Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean. In the past year alone, we have used free reward tickets to go to Hawaii at Christmas (published fares were over $1100), Provence for lavender season (published fares were over $1600), Mexico, St. Louis, and to island hop from Kauai to the Big Islands; in other words, we used 135K miles for over $3500 worth of airplane tickets! Now that's getting the most for your airmiles.

Royal Decameron, Montego Bay

We spent a few days at the Royal Decameron, Montego Bay in early July of this year. It is in the middle of the spectrum of all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and an excellent value.

Situated in the heart of the Hip Strip, the tourist section and nightlife district of Montego Bay, it would be hard to find a more convenient location. Of course, the resort doesn't provide much reason to leave as the pools, beach, and activities offered could easily keep you occupied for days. Although the resort beach is compact and manages only a sliver of sand, this is Jamaica so it is still breathtakingly beautiful. We found that the free snorkeling here was among the best we have ever experienced at a resort. One downside is that we also discovered a surprising number of sea urchins very close to the beach. We are not sure if they were poisonous, so watch where you step! If you prefer a more spacious beach, you are also in easy walking distance of the famous and best beach in Montego Bay, Doctor's Cave, a site also known as essentially the birthplace of Jamaican tourism.

We found the food and service to be great and were pleasantly surprised to find an authentic sampling of local dishes. There are different offerings each day, but you can definitely eat like a local if you want. We had salt fish and callaloo for breakfast and jerk chicken and grouper fish for dinner. We also found that the bars were plentiful and conveniently located, and the drinks strong and easily customized to your liking.

The rooms were spacious, renovated, clean, and it seems that all face the beach. There are a variety of room options with some providing ground level patios and terraces. Wi-fi is also available, but sadly it is not part of the all-inclusive rate, and has to purchased in 15 minute increments. The reception was also patchy and completely unavailable in certain parts of the resort, and we had to go back to the main lobby to get a good signal. This was definitely less than ideal, but also something that we quickly forgot about as we enjoyed a rum punch at the swim-up bar. This is not the place to go if you need constant Internet access, but then again, do you really need constant Internet access in paradise?

The price is right too at about $75 per person per night and we have even seen it as low as $70 per person. We enjoyed it so much that we not only plan to return, but have already booked our next visit. Book yours now too! Enjoy!

Photo of the Week: Doctor's Cave Beach, Jamaica

Doctor's Cave Beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica, besides being near and dear to my heart, is one of the best beaches ever. Powdery white sand, turquoise waters that are always mild and warm, and highly accessible right there in the middle of town. Historically, the waters of Doctor's Cave Beach were thought to have curative powers, and after a day there spent soothing body and soul, soaking up the sun and then diving in to cool off, it's easy to believe.

The Bucketlist of Waterfalls

If we were to put together our bucketlist of must see waterfalls around the world, this recent article at Women'sDay would be a good start. Although it doesn't include Dunn's River Falls or Reach Falls, it still includes all of the ones that we would include in our own top list, such as Iguazu, Angel Falls, and even a few we didn't know about. Give us a shout if you think there are any that should also be included here.

Earn Triple AirMiles Just for Paying Your Bills!

By now, hopefully you've opened your new Chase account, as we suggested last week, for an easy 25,000 Continental OnePass miles. Well now you can start putting that account to work for you for even more miles. Chase is offering, for the second time this year, the chance to earn 3 miles per dollar for bills you pay with your OnePass Chase debit card. We earned over 5000 miles the last time this offer was available. Just click here to find out more details and register, then pay your grocery, utility, and other bills with your Onepass Chase debit card between August 10 and October 31, and your bonus miles will be awarded in November, 2009. Finally, something to make you feel good about paying all those bills!

Book Your Next Trip on BezLu and You Could Save $100!

You can now book flight, hotel, and car rental deals directly on the BezLu site using the Orbitz booking widget available in the right column on every page! We use Orbitz frequently ourselves and have used it to find and book excellent travel deals. In addition to great deals, we also find that Orbitz is the only major online travel booking service that displays the total, real price on the first page of results, including all fees. The competitors often tease you with just the base price of the airfare or hotel and only reveal the fees involved later in the process. It also doesn't hurt that Orbitz does not charge any booking fees on flights either... forever. So, please keep this widget in mind and make BezLu the first place you go when you are planning your trip.

As an added bonus, use the code "PRIDE2009" and get $100 off your trip! Book a qualifying hotel or flight + hotel package between by September 7, 2009, for 5 or more nights for travel between May 1, 2009, and November 15, 2009, via Orbitz and instantly receive $100 off your booking.

Photo of the Week: Reach Falls in Jamaica

Reach Falls is one of the most beautiful and natural waterfalls in Jamaica. About 30 minutes outside of Port Antonio, Reach Falls is located in a peaceful mountain setting surrounded by virgin rain forest. Though not particularly tall or powerful, it is certainly visually stunning, with a series of limestone shelves cascading from one crystal clear, jade green pool to another. It is an easy climb, as you go from pool to pool, discovering hidden nooks and crannies along the way. About a half-mile back you will find a natural whirlpool that you can enjoy nestled inside a natural rock formation.

Our Exclusive On All-Inclusive

What is an All-Inclusive resort? Basically they are hotels that provide lodging and unlimited meals, alcohol, and activities in the daily rate. They are usually gated, protected communities... so that there is not much reason to leave, however, included activities often extend to off site locations, such as tour visits to local attractions and adventure packages such as rafting or swimming with dolphins. The types of resorts available vary from inexpensive to luxurious, but they are almost all concentrated in warm locations. They are ideal for the kind of vacation where you just want to kick back and relax and are usually not ideal for folks who really want to explore a country and culture. They are also not a wise economic choice if you are not planning to take advantage of the meals and activities.

Generally, staying in one location on our trip is not how we prefer to travel, however we do enjoy a change of pace every now and then and the break from having an itinerary. We also sometimes like to balance out our long trips by spending a few days at an all-inclusive and the other days exploring.

Recently, we found that the Sun Palace in Cancun, New Mexico (pictured above) lived up to all the positive hype. We highly recommend it. For you trivia buffs out there, although Club Med is generally credited with inventing the all-inclusive resort, Frenchman's Cove in Port Antonio, Jamaica actually holds the title.... also highly recommended, though no longer all-inclusive.

Drink Deals in New York City

If you are in NYC and you'd like to make sure the drinks flow without wrecking your cashflow, then check out DrinkDeal.com. This site is a gem for both NYC residents and visitors as it provides a searchable list of NYC watering holes. We are not sure how up to date the data it is, but it definitely provides plenty of options. We particularly like that you can search for Happy Hour deals by day of the week and by family of beverage.

A Travelers View of New York City

We often find ourselves getting excited about something in our jaunts around NYC that we think visitors, tourists, and travelers to New York can benefit from. With this in mind, we plan to post restaurant recommendations, especially places that are not tourist traps and will give you a good local experience; provide insider travel deals and tips; even review some of the must see tourist attractions; and expose what we believe are undiscovered parts of the city, the hidden gems, that don't get a lot of tourist traffic, but are certainly deserving of a bit more attention. Between the two of us, we have over 50 years of experience living in New York City in 4 boroughs (sorry Staten Island), and we think we have amassed quite a few good finds. So, stay tuned!

Dining Rewards... a.k.a. Airmiles for Eating

Most airmiles programs partner with the Rewards Network and allow you to also earn miles when dining at certain restaurants. The Rewards Network is often seamlessly integrated with your airmiles program. There are no extra or hidden costs for you, and it is completely automated once you take a few minutes to set things up. You just need to open an account and register your credit card numbers with the program... up to 5 cards, and, then any time you dine at a participating restaurant with one of these cards, airmiles will magically post directly to your airmiles program account usually within a week. These really are free miles that you are likely missing out on, especially if you eat out with any regularity.

Generally, you will accrue miles at a rate of at least 3 per dollar spent, however, there are often promotions and incentives that can increase that rate. Our favorite is the one that kicks in after a number of dines within a calendar year (usually between 10-15); the rate then jumps to at least 5 miles per dollar spent for all dines for the remainder of the year. When you do this on a credit card that also gives you miles for purchases, these miles are in addition to the miles that you get per dollar spent on the card, so this often means you are getting at least 4 miles per dollar spent. The particular rates, of course, vary depending on the airmiles program.

Although only a small percentage of restaurants in a city will choose to participate, you can often find a few that you like. You can search for participating restaurants here. We have our favorites, but it is a nice surprise when we eat someplace new and discover it has netted us some additional miles. And, every now and then, we browse the list and look for a new place, esp. if we know we are about to spend a lot on a meal.

You can belong to many dining rewards programs, i.e. one for each participating airmiles program, however, a credit card can only be associated with one airmiles program at a time. We recommend choosing the dining rewards for one airmiles program and adding all of your credit cards to it.

For your reference, here are some quicklinks for registering for dining rewards with our favorite airmiles programs. Happy Dining!

• Northwest WorldPerks Dining for Miles
• Delta SkyMiles Dining
• United Mileage Plus Dining
• Unfortunately, Continental OnePass no longer participates in the Rewards Network and has no dining rewards program at the moment.
  

Earn DOUBLE Miles Shopping with Northwest WorldPerks Mall

One of the many ways we accumulate airmiles is by making our usual online purchases through either Continental's ShopOnePass or Northwest's WorldPerks Mall. Both of them offer miles for your purchases at popular sites like the Gap, Target, Macys, Dell, etc. Some partner sites get you as much as 20 miles per dollars spent (e.g. FTD and Teleflora) for purchases you were going to make anyhow. During the Christmas season alone, we easily rack up 10,000 miles or more.

From now until the end of September, Northwest is offering double the miles for almost all purchases. That means you can get 8 miles per dollar spent at Figleaves, 4 miles per dollar spent at Macys, 4 miles per dollar spent at Barnes and Noble, and more. You just have to make sure to access them through Northwest and enter your membership number in order to receive proper credit. As with all special offers, you have to register for it. Click here to register and to see complete details.

Severe Turbulence on a Continental Flight

A Continental Airlines flight on Monday en route from Brazil to Texas hit sudden and severe turbulence over the Atlantic and was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami. Read more about it here and accounts from passengers here. It is an echo of Air France Flight 447 that came down in the Atlantic on May 31st, also originating from Rio de Janeiro.

We have experienced a bit of turbulence ourselves in our travels, but nothing, thankfully, this extreme. However, it is never far from our minds while we fly.

Get a Free Continental Reward Ticket Fast!

Want a free reward ticket right away? Now's your chance. When folks hear that many of our great trips are done with free frequent flyer reward tickets, they often get excited and want to know our "secret" for getting them. However, as soon as we start listing all the many things we do to amass miles, they generally start to zone out. We think an hour of our time per week is a tiny investment for the pay-off, and we actually think it's fun to come up with new and creative ways to earn more miles but we understand that you might need to see (at least) one quick pay-off in order to get excited.

So here it is: a way to earn your first free ticket, with one simple action. Well, maybe 6 actions, but they're all related. For the past 2 years, Continental OnePass has offered between 20,000 and 25,000 miles for opening a Chase checking account. The extraordinary offer is usually valid for a 2 month period but they've re-issued the offer for the 2nd time this year, and this time it's being extended to the end of the year!

All you have to do is open a new Chase checking account, with a new $100 deposit ("new", meaning you can't withdraw the money from an existing Chase account to open the new one). That's the main step; the other 5 requirements are simple: just request the Chase OnePass Preferred Debit card ($40-$60 annual fee) and make 6 purchases with it within 60 days of opening the account. You will receive 10,000 miles for opening the account and 15,000 for making the 6 purchases within 60 days. For those who don't want to pay the annual fee for the preferred debit card you can skip that part and just get 10,000 miles for opening the account only. Personally, we think the fee is worth it because with the Preferred card, you also get 1 mile for every dollar charged to the card. We use it to pay as many bills as we can, and therefore get miles for our utility bills, insurance, groceries, etc.

See our primer on Air Miles to learn more about the different programs but for now, get on down to Chase and start planning your first free trip!

Click here to get the voucher you need to print and bring with you to open the account, and also for full details on the terms of the offer.

Airmiles, Do You Have What It Takes?

Although it is easy to do, collecting airmiles takes some effort. It adds a few extra steps to the travel planning process and those extra steps will require a little bit of your time. A little extra time translates into a lot of inconvenience... if you have not found the right motivation. To this end, picture yourself seeing Paris or London for the first time, walking over a lava field on the Big Island in Hawaii, visiting the Taj Mahal, strolling down the Vegas strip, or wherever it is that you would like to be that seems unattainable at the moment; and keep that vision in mind. This is what it is all about for us as well. We keep our eyes on the prizes. As a result, we have come to view those extra steps as the tools that help us to achieve our travel goals. They are no longer inconveniences, but opportunities that we are excited to discover and use to our advantage whenever possible.

Collecting airmiles also requires a bit of patience. Airmiles are not something you can amass in an instant nor are they a discount program that allows you to save on a trip that you are planning right now. You collect airmiles so that 6 months from now, you can take a trip or several trips and ideally many more!

If you can find your motivation (i.e. picture yourself traveling), roll-up your sleeves and put in a little extra effort, and recognize that it will take a little time, we promise you that you will see great results. We have taken countless trips on airmiles and are eagerly planning where to go next with our stockpiles... and, of course, how to earn more miles!

Photo of the Week: The Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio, Jamaica

The Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio, Jamaica is among the most beautiful natural attractions of the Island. So much so, that it has been used in the filming of several movies; most notably, the Brooke Shields movie "The Blue Lagoon". With its change of colors from azure blue to deep emerald, to sapphire and turquoise, the ‘Blue Hole’, as it is also known locally, is absolutely mesmerizing. It is 200 feet deep and fed by underground fresh water springs as well as connected to the Caribbean Sea, making for a thoroughly refreshing swim. Though its beauty is exotic, it is not remote. Located just seven miles east of Port Antonio, it is convenient and easy to get to by car.

My New Dell Mini 10v: I Never Leave Home Without It!

I’m writing to you now, from the V train, in Manhattan, on my way home. How? On my snazzy new Dell 10V. I am in love with my netbook! A netbook is a smaller, scaled-down version of a laptop, essentially meant for getting on the web, and simple tasks which don’t require lots of memory. It weighs a little under 3 pounds, measures about 7 by 10 inches, and comes in 7 bright glossy colors. Mine is fire engine red. It’s especially great for travel, because of its light weight and small size. It fits right in my purse and is handy for getting it out quickly for airport security. Starting at $299, you can get one with 1GB of memory, a 120GB hard drive, Windows XP, and a built in webcam (1.3 mega pixels). Great for holding all your travel photos, for getting a little work done on the road, and we use the webcam to keep in touch with friendsand family via Skype. It comes standard with a 3-cell battery, but for $30 you can upgrade to the 6-cell battery which I've gotten more than 6 hours of use from! You might not want to totally replace your home cumputer or laptop, but for travel you can't beat this for price, size, performance and convenience.

Try the Mobile Edge Sumo Sleeve to protect your Mini 10V. It has no zippers, so it's easy to remove and replace at airport security.

Hidden Gem: St. Louis, Missouri

On a recent trip to a friend's wedding, we discovered what a great place to visit, St. Louis is. Who knew? It’s a small city with a compact downtown area filled with various sports arenas and stadiums, lovely suburbs with brick houses and manicured lawns, sprawling city parks with lush green space, and casinos for those seeking a little gambling action.

As we entered the city, the first thing we noticed was its most famous monument, the Gateway Arch. I have to say, it’s pretty impressive up close. You can even take a trip to the top of this behemoth structure for dizzying views of the city. And the area near the Arch, close to the river, is closed to traffic and home to many restaurants, pubs and shops.

After checking in to our hotel the first thing we did, was to seek out some lunch. Believe me, you wont go hungry in St. Louis. There is no end of BBQ to be had. This includes barbequed meats, sausages, and of course pulled pork, all doused with healthy portions of rivaling sauces. We sampled the 2-meat platter at Pappy’s Smokehouse on Olive Avenue and weren’t disappointed. It was finger-licking good, and only $8.99 for more food than we could finish.

Fuelled by our lunch, we went off to explore Forest Park. Many people had likened it to Central Park, and we thought we could probably do much of it in a day. Not so. The park is actually 500 acres larger than Central Park and is home to 2 golf courses, 2 museums, a boathouse, several ponds, over 1000 acres of woods and lawns, and last but not least, the St. Louis SZoo.

The zoo is a gem within a gem. It has over 3600 animals, many of them endangered, and is ranked as the best zoo in the country by Zagats. Some of the more remarkable features to us were the cold water misters strategically placed all over the property to help you cool down from the relentless St. Louis sun (who new it would be in the 90s!), the fact that you can buy a cold beer and drink it from the bottle while you stroll the zoo, and perhaps most amazing of all: free admission. Doesn't get better than that.

From our hotel room, we spied the Lumiere Place Casino across the street and decided to go see what it was like. Even though it was not officially non-smoking, it was relatively smoke-free and bearable despite my allergies. It was nicely designed and laid out, with endless rows of slot machines, black jack tables and roulette wheels with various limits; we sampled each one. We ended up winning a little, and losing a little so we pretty much broke even. A nice ending to a nice weekend.

Airmiles Deal: United Mileage Plus Saver Award Sale

If you have miles in the United Mileage Plus program, this is a sweet deal. Now through July 24th, you can redeem airmiles at a 20% discount (and more), e.g. a ticket that usually costs 25K miles will cost you only 20K miles. This is a great deal and especially fortuitous for folks who don't have 25K miles in their accounts at the moment. The only catch is that the you can only use these miles to travel between August 18 - November 18. Not such a bad time to be traveling at all. Read more about the offer here.

Photo of the Week: The Oregon Pacific Coast

One usually thinks of California when imagining driving down the Pacific Coast but not to be outdone is its neighbor to the north.

On the drive from Cannon Beach to Brookings, one can take in the huge Haystack boulders that are typical on the Oregon coast, get breathtaking ocean views on winding highways, visit caves filled with sea lions, stop for a ride on the highest sand dunes in the US, and visit forests of 800 year-old Spruce trees... and that's just the beginning.

Air Travel for Pets

Pet Airways launched its inaugural flight today from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York. It is the first of its kind; an airline dedicated to transporting pets in comfort and safety (see our earlier post for more details). Until now, anyone with a pet too big to fit under a typical commercial airplane seat, would have to settle for transporting them in the cargo hold with the baggage, where temperatures can vary drastically, and pet carriers, are handled by the baggage handlers (and we know how 'gentle' those guys are with the rest of your baggage!).

Now, for about the same price as subjecting your pet to the bowels of the cargo hold, pets can travel in comfort, and under constant care and supervision on Pet Airways. A one-way ticket from New York to Los Angeles will run about $250 and pets are given a bathroom and exercise break before boarding. The airline was started by a pet-loving husband and wife team who were struck by the idea after a terrible experience transporting their pet terrier, so the comfort and safety of their "pawsengers" (as they call them) is paramount.

Even the most domesticated and pleasant pets, can be highly disturbed by air travel. If you're not lucky enough to be in a city serviced by Pet Airways here are a few tips that can make travel more comfortable for your pet:

**Pets are particularly susceptible to motion sickness, so even the ride to the airport can begin to upset them. Avoid feeding pets within 3 hours of heading to the airport. You can allow them to have water (and should travel with some as well), but try not to leave home until they've had a chance to relieve themselves.

**Pets' upset often manifests itself with vomiting; another reason not to feed them beforehand, and certainly don't feed them during travel in an attempt to calm them. Last weekend, at the Houston Airport, I couldn't believe when I witnessed a pet owner feed her cat an entire can of food right before boarding a 4 hour flight to New York. It was going to be a long time before that kitty would get a bathroom break!

**Avoid medicating pets with sedatives, which can make them frightened and disoriented. Rather, exercise your pet with a good walk or run, shortly before heading to the airport.

**If you're lucky enough to have your pet in the cabin with you, opt for a carrier that you can easily reach into and assure them with a loving stroke when needed. Avoid the instinct to take them out if they become agitated; cats especially, actually feel more secure in an enclosed space, and feel very vulnerable and nervous in wide open, unfamiliar spaces.

Pet Airways, An Airline Just for Pets

A new airline is set to launch next week... for Pets only! Instead of under your seat or, worse, down below in the baggage hold, your pet gets to fly first-class in the main cabin on Pet Airways. Although service is only currently available to a handful of US cities, this has the makings of a competitive alternative to the services provided by the major airlines. We hope it catches on. Fares begin at $149 one-way. Read more here.

Turtles Shutdown a New York City Runway

About 80 diamondback terrapin turtles delayed traffic today at JFK airport in New York for about 90 minutes. You can read more here. I guess not such exciting news, if you live in Hawaii or Ecuador, but this is New York City! Who knew that we had anything approaching a sea turtle here! OK, so technically, diamondback terrapin live in brackish water, so they are not sea turtles, but still impressive nonetheless. (For the curious, it turns out we actually do have sea turtles here in the New York area, but they prefer to not hang out at the airport.)

I wonder how many folks were on flights at the moment to places where they planned to view sea turtles? Having gone on a few supposed sea turtle viewing adventures that turned out to be a bust, this might be the only turtles that they actually get to see in the wild on their trip. Hope that they took some good photos.

A New Cure for the Fear of Flying?

To overcome his fear of flying, Mark Malkoff is living on a plane for the month of June! He is also doing a great job of documenting his journey with frequent videos and tweets on twitter. It sounds like he must be cured. Are we witnessing the birth of a new, effective (and extremely expensive and time-consuming) form of therapy?

The Markets of Provence

The middle of June marks the beginning of lavender season in Provence. Not the harvesting season, but rather, the peak of lush purple fields that are a feast for both the eye and the nose. Acres and acres of rolling hils, ochre colored cliffs, green vineyards and thousand-year old villages nestled between rows of brightly colored purple lavender.

Over the next month, thousands will flock to the South of France to witness nature's show, and to take advantage of the great weather and bounty of fruit. No visit to Provence is complete without experiencing its markets. You can get everything from farm fresh produce, cheeses, sausages, and Provencal herbs to clothes, shoes, fabrics and antiques, usually in the setting of a charming and ancient hill-top village.

Below, is a list of the markets of Provence listed by the day of the week:

DAILY
Aix-en-Provence - food market - place Richelme
Aix-en-Provence - flowers - place de l'Hôtel (Tue, Thur, Sat) and place des Prêcheurs (other days)
Avignon - food market - Les Halles (covered market - closed Mon)
Grasse - food market
Marseille - food market - cours Pierre Puget, place Jean-Jaurès, place du Marché-des-Capucins and avenue du Prado (all closed Sun)
Marseille - fish market - quai des Belges
Sanary-sur-Mer - food market
Toulon - food market - cours Lafayette (except Mon)

SUNDAY
Aix-en-Provence - antique book market - place Mairie (first Sun of each month)
Avignon - flea market - place des Carmes
Carpentras - flea market
Chateaurenard - food market
Le Coustellet - food market
Isle sur la Sorgue - food market
Isle sur la Sorgue - antiques - held throughout the town
La Ciotat - food market - Vieux Port
Marseille - flea market - avenue du Cap-Pinède
Ramatuelle - food market
St-Maxime - food market

MONDAY
Bédoin - food market
Cadenet - food market
Cavaillon - food market

TUESDAY
Aix-en-Provence - flea market - place Verdun
Apt - flea market - place St. Pierre
Gordes - food and arts & crafts market
La Ciotat - food market - place Evariste-Gras
La Tour D'Aigues - food market
Lorgues - food and arts & crafts market
Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer - flea market
St-Tropez - flea market - place des Lices
Tarascon - food market
Vaison-la-Romaine - food market

WEDNESDAY
Arles - food market - boulevard Emilie-Combes
Arles - antique market (first Wed of every month)
Draguignan - food and arts & crafts market
Draguignan - flea market
Fréjus
Grasse - flea market - place aux Herbes
Salon-de-Provence - food and arts & crafts market - Place Morgan
Sault - food and arts & crafts market
St-Rémy-de-Provence - food market - place de la République and place Pélissier

THURSDAY
Aix-en-Provence - flea market - place Verdun
Ansouis - food market
Isle sur la Sorgue - food market
Le Lavandou
Orange - food market
Orange - flea market - cour A. Brians
Ramatuelle - food market
Roussillon - food market
Salon-de-Provence - food and arts & crafts market - Place Morgan
Vacqueyras - food market

FRIDAY
Bonnieux
Carpentras - food and arts & crafts market - in the old town
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Lourmarin - food market
Pertuis - food market
Tarascon - organic market - place du Marché

SATURDAY
Aix-en-Provence - flea market - place Verdun
Apt - food and arts & crafts market - throughout entire town
Arles - food market - boulevard des Lices and boulevard Clemenceau
Avignon - flower market - place des Carmes
Barjols
Draguignan - food and arts & crafts market
Fréjus
Isle sur la Sorgue - antiques - held throughout the town
Isle sur la Sorgue - food market
Manosque - food market
Marseille - book market - cours Julien (every second Sat of each month)
St-Rémy-de-Provence
St-Tropez - flea market - place des Lices

Photo of the Week: Lavender in Provence

The middle of June marks the beginning of lavender season in Provence. Not the harvesting season, but rather, the peak of lush purple fields that are a feast for both the eye and the nose. Acres and acres of rolling hils, ochre colored cliffs, green vineyards and thousand-year old villages nestled between rows of brightly colored purple lavender.

Sometimes it Pays to Be a Slacker

Anyone planning a trip to Europe that will include a visit to any of the major museums, has probably gotten all sorts of advice about arriving super early so as to get a good spot in the queue. Same for major local attractions such as Pearl Harbor, the Empire State Building, etc. The length of these queues is the stuff of legends: 3-hour waits to see the Sistine Chapel, or the view from the top of the Empire State Building are not unheard of.

Consummate late-risers that we are, we never arrive anywhere before 10am, especially while travelling, unless it's for a flight (for some reason, all our flights seem to depart before sunrise!) But it seems to work out to our advantage and I think I've stumbled on a rarely discussed travel secret. There's no need to get to the Louvre or the Uffizi Gallery at 7:00 am to get a good place in line. Rather, show up shortly before noon (or even later), as is our habit, and you will find all the conscientious and very self-disciplined visitors have already cleared the line!

This straggler approach has rewarded us with an almost solo visit with David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence, a closeup one-on-one with the Mona Lisa, and a mere 10 minute wait at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when naysayers told us not to bother trying to go there after 10 am. In addition to missing the line, in European locations, our timing usually means everyone else has run off for lunch so we get the double bonus of experiencing almost empty halls.

So for those who have the resolve to obey the 6 am alarm while on vacation, and are willing to spend half the day lining up for a single attraction, more power to you, but we prefer to stay up all night watching funny foreign language tv, trying to figure out what they're saying, while we share a bottle of local wine and review the day's adventures, and we know we can count on you to have the queue cleared for our noon-time arrival after our luxuriously late breakfast.

Photo of the Week: New Mexico

New Mexico is a mix of desert and forest, volcanoes and ice caves, hot and cold, old and new. History buffs can visit the oldest church (San Miguel) and the longest continuously inhabited homes in the country (Taos Pueblo). Those seeking physical pursuits have their choice of skiing, hiking, camping, horseback-riding, white water rafting and more. Nature enthusiasts can visit one of several extinct volcanoes, lava fields, and even a 10,000 year-old ice cave, which stays a cool 31 degrees even when the outside temperature is in the 90s. Conspiracy theorists and UFO buffs can make their way to Roswell and meet up with like-minded travelers. And for a trip back in time, rent a convertible and top off a drive down vintage Route 66 with lunch at a drive-in burger joint. From trendy Santa Fe with its highbrow and historic hotels, shops and dining, to the woodsy and natural charm of Ojo Caliente with its rustic chic adobe cottages with private hot mineral springs, and all the varied terrain in between, New Mexico is a hidden gem with something for everyone.

A review is only as good as the reviewer

Yay! Trip Advisor has recently added an invaluable feature to its reviews: a history of the reviewer right next to their screen name. We use Trip Advisor a lot; in fact, we never book a hotel without checking it out first. Trip Advisor is a free travel guide and research website that hosts reviews from its users and other information designed to help plan your vacation. The review database is sizable, with reviews of over 400,000 hotels and over 90,000 attractions around the world. Most reviews are helpful and really go above and beyond what you might find on a hotel-booking site but occasionally there are extreme reviews; either extremely favorable, or extremely poor. When I see those, I always look up the history of the reviewer to see if it’s just a troll or a one-time reviewer venting over a single bad experience which completely skews their review. Well now, you don’t even have to leave the page to find that out; you can roll your mouse over their names and see immediately how many posts they’ve put up and if you actually want to see some of the past reviews, that information is one click away. Now this already great resource is even better!

The Expedia 24-hour Sale... hotel deals in a hurry

If you haven't already, consider making the Expedia 24-hour Sale site a part of your travel planning repertoire. This site is truly an undiscovered gem. We know that there are a ton of hotel booking resources available online, but, if you are flexible on your choice of hotel and/or looking to save a few dollars, the Expedia 24-hour Sale site can reveal some remarkable discounts. There is one catch... these hotel deals are available for one day only (from midnight to 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time). To be clear, you can book your stay in advance, however, you have to actually make the reservation the day that you see the deal.

This isn't an empty recommendation. We have used this site several times to book hotels and each of these were instances when we were not expecting to find a deal anywhere, for example, a decent hotel with availability in Waikiki for under $100 per night in the week between Christmas and New Years. That was quite a find. We don't always find a great deal here, but we do often enough to keep this site very much on the radar.

One note of caution when purchasing through Expedia, check the refund policy before you hit the final submit button. We find that some reservations are refundable, while others are not or sometimes incur a change penalty.