Although the travel health focus right now is on the Swine Flu, it's nonetheless important to remember that Swine Flu isn't the end-all, be-all of dangerous diseases right now. After all, millions of people in the world don't have it, unlike HIV and AIDS. Up until this weekend, those with HIV were banned from traveling to the United States due to an archaic law which was just lifted by Obama in response to a UNAIDS request for all countries to end such discriminatory travel bans: "Placing travel restrictions on people living with HIV has no public health justification. It is also a violation of human rights," said UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe.

Although the ban won't be fully lifted until next year, those who have HIV and haven't been able to visit the US and make their dreams come true of going to Graceland and eating a slice of New York pizza now can start booking their flights. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-02T10:34:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/25/93122/0686

President Obama might be making his first presidential visit to Pittsburgh today for the G20 Summits, but before heading off for some serious work-time, Mr. and Mrs. Obama hit up New York again for a couple days, creating mass traffic confusion, but some actual excitement when Michelle lunched at the famed Gramercy Tavern restaurant.

In all fairness, Michelle had to eat alone since Barack was not in town for tourist activities like usual, but instead addressing the United Nations. Gramercy Tavern is an excellent choice for the First Lady, even if she may have gone because the chef behind the restaurant also catered the UN activities. It is upscale, rather exclusive and hard to get reservations for, and is known for being a cheerleader of American cuisine.

She didn't make reservations... ]]> JetSetCD 2009-09-25T09:31:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/18/132653/326

Washington D.C.-bound travelers hoping to celebrate Christmas with the Obamas may already be out of luck. With its twinkling lights and a new family occupying the world's most famous address this year, snagging holiday tour tickets to the White House is a feat that rivals landing floor seats to a Springsteen concert.

As the Richmond Times Dispatch reports, tour requests are accepted up to six months in advance, but whether you're the lucky winner of tickets isn't disclosed until three weeks before the scheduled date, or thereabouts.

The formal request process and the lottery-like submission for tickets are a result of post-September 11th security measures. Before then, tourists could show up the morning of and fall in line to get same-day admission. Now, ticket requests must be made "through the office of a member of the House of Representatives or Senate." ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-18T14:13:55-05:00 38.8987480 -77.036562 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/15/2167/10922

Bibliophiles will want to book it to the National Mall in Washington DC to hang with co-hosts President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the ninth annual National Book Festival. Big-name authors are scheduled to come out as well for the free festival, set for 10 am to 5:30 pm on September 26.

Since we want you to have enough time to make it to your favorite events while still having a chance to sight-see around the city, we've consolidated a nice list of the biggest highlights to hit in the Book Festival.

Jaunted's favorite highlights, all on September 26: ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-09-15T16:12:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/28/112156/366

Read East Coast, read West Coast, or read without books at all: Here's all the reading news intrepid travelers need to know from this week:

· Good news for flashpackers? Sony unveiled its latest e-book reader this week and before you could say "Kindle killer," reviewers rushed to express the fervent desire that it could improve on Apple's very '80s-colored category leader. The $400 touchscreen Sony "Daily Edition" will allow readers to go online with a blazing 3G network and, among other options, check out library books electronically.

The budget option for digital page-turners on Sony's line is still the $200 Reader Pocket (a 6" touchscreen with no wireless)—but can it compete with the Kindle's stranglehold over both publisher selection and the iPhone? ]]> egw 2009-08-28T12:29:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/23/21120/0428

We have truly entered the family vacation portion of summer, what with last week's National Parks free day and the anxiety of squeezing in trips before Labor Day. Although President Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have spent their summer traveling around the world and taking in various tourist sites, they have also been working all the while. Thus, it's even time for the first family to call it quits for a bit and head to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts for some deserved rest and relaxation.

They'll even be renting a summer vacation home for the week-long break, but this isn't some cottage with a leaky canoe; it's the 28-acre, $35,000-a-week Blue Heron Farm on the island's southern edge. With the arrival of the Obamas, Martha's Vineyard has become the late summer celebrity vacation hotspot, as it's reported that the likes of Jay-Z, Beyonce, Oprah, Spike Lee, Pele (the Brazilion soccer star) and even the Clintons are also in town. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-24T09:34:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/17/02625/0644

With vacation destinations like Miami Beach or Las Vegas, one wonder if American families are still game to take in natural sights at the once-popular National Parks. Well, there's at least one family that kicked off their summer vacation with little good old road tripping out west, and that's the Obamas. Before they head to Martha's Vineyard for some well-deserved down time, the first family spent this last weekend admiring the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.

Alright, so it wasn't exactly a road trip in the traditional sense, since the family took the Marine One helicopter from the White House to Air Force One to reach the west, but they did hop from one park to another in one weekend, and Obama even brought along his half-sister and her family. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-17T09:30:52-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/