Archive for August, 2010

With Labor Day weekend only 10 days away, the summer travel season is quickly coming to a close. And what a summer it has been. A heat wave greeted travelers all along the eastern seaboard, while threats of tar balls and oil slicks left many scrambling for alternative destinations or wondering if their Gulf vacations would be ruined.

Now that the oil is under control and the heat has begun to abate just a little, a getaway over this last long weekend of summer seems especially tempting. If you haven’t already made travel plans for Labor Day weekend, here are a few ideas to consider before it’s too late.

Orbitz has listed its top ten travel destinations for the 2010 Labor Day holiday, based on air, hotel and hotel-plus-air bookings made through Orbitz.com for travel between September 3 and September 6.  Metropolitan areas throughout the United States, including the southeast’s Orlando and Atlanta, dominate the list in large part because average hotel rates in these top …

Continue reading Wanted: Last-minute ideas for Labor Day getaway »

I was reading recently about movie director James Cameron’s desire to spend his 56th birthday in the depths of the world’s oldest and deepest lake. Weather-permitting, he was to submerge nearly a mile below the surface of Russia’s Lake Baikal, located in southern Siberia. (Weather-not permitting, it sounds like he will do what many adults do to ease the transition of crossing the threshold of another year. He’ll toss back a few strong drinks and enjoy the scenery.) 

If all goes well, Cameron’s underwater voyage should make for quite the memorable birthday trip.

It’s not exploring the deep, dark waters of a remote lake, but even average Atlantans like us can often do with a little birthday getaway. We are, in fact, traveling a short distance this weekend to help a friend celebrate her 40th on Lake Lanier. Similar to destination weddings, these getaways are something like “destination birthdays”.               

In the past few months, many of our …

Continue reading Are you on board for a birthday vacation? »

Most of us have “flown solo” at some point in our lives – to a dinner party, a club, a class or family reunion, or somewhere else. Now, many Americans who like to travel are also “flying solo” – and lodging solo and sightseeing solo.

Traditionally, Americans on vacation tend to travel together – in pairs or groups – and the majority of us stick to that traditional model. Still, at least a quarter of all vacationing Americans last year set out for rest, relaxation or a new adventure without a traveling companion. Time has even named solo cruising one if its top ten travel trends.         

As people divorce, marry later, or forgo marriage altogether, the number of singles with the time, money and inclination to travel is significant. Some travel to meet new people, and some don’t want to forgo the pleasures of experiencing new places just because no one else can go along. Others set out on their own to find out more about themselves. Think the new

Continue reading Vacation for one? Would you travel alone? »

Sometimes your boss tells you where your next trip will take you. Other times, your family or friends’ wishes are the deciding factors in a vacation destination. But when you have the freedom to travel wherever you want, how do you choose where to go?

Costs have a way of narrowing our choices down quite a bit. Personal preferences toward certain climates or geography help as well. Even taking those into consideration, the eager traveler could still have a hemisphere of choices to muck through before they book a flight or hotel.

It’s a fortunate predicament to be sure, but no one wants to spend money on a trip and come home disappointed. Now some globetrotters and road trippers are letting the stars do their planning and trusting their vacation dreams to their horoscopes. The AJC recently ran this article, which describes a new horoscope feature on Tripbase.com.  Tripbase.com is a website that recommends destinations based on travelers’ holiday preferences (warm …

Continue reading Good morning star-sign, where should I go? Horoscopes as a travel tool? »