Going away next weekend? Perhaps on one of these last-minute Fourth of July escapes? Since the goal of the Fourth of July is just to relax and enjoy the balmy temperatures and lazy nights of summer, our biggest advice to you is not to overpack.

We fancy ourselves quite the expert packers; two weeks in Hong Kong on a single carry-on suitcase is de rigeur for us, and so we'd thought we'd share our own packing list for next weekend—with a few revisions allowing for your flexibility, of course...

The Complete Fourth of July Long Weekend Packing List: ]]> JetSetCD 2010-06-24T14:05:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/6/23/132536/803

Where the heck has the summer gone? It's hard to believe that next weekend is the Fourth of July. But you procrastinators still have some time to plan a kick-butt Fourth of July holiday weekend, so book your travel now...

· Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
If fireworks and barbecue aren't your thing, escape the Fourth of July chaos with a trip to Punta Cana. This package includes four nights on the island as well as airfare starting at $585. Your beachfront vacay will be free of hot dogs and loud fireworks, but you'll want to sip a cocktail or two from your chaise lounge. We were just there ourselves recently, so be sure to check out all those special stories loaded with tips here.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-06-23T16:30:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/02946/32223

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and baby Suri went for a stroll on Independence Day in Telluride, Colorado. Cruise has owned a home in the ski town for years, sharing the local mountain air with Oprah and Oliver Stone.

Other stars used their holiday weekend to visit summer homes, plan sexy getaways or just get out of the house for a bit.]]> egw 2008-07-07T13:30:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/3/153743/9285

We're somehow going to go three whole days without posting any travel news. In the meantime, all sorts of craziness will probably ensue because companies like to release bad news while everyone's on vacation and pounding beers at backyard barbecues.

So in order to give you the news before it happens--we're gonna be the ones doing the beer-pounding!--we've put together a list of things that just may happen over the weekend:

Midwest Airlines will declare bankruptcy: Seriously, a 40 percent pay cut for the CEO? Why not 100 percent, Hoeksema--and you admit your airline is doomed?

American and BA will call off their pseudo-merger: Why would British Airways want to get together with an airline that's laying off 7,000 people? Willie Walsh has enough problems as it is.

Someone will get wasted on a plane: Bet on it. And if they get charged with a federal crime in the process, we'll try to dig up his or her Myspace page on Monday!

Oil will hit $150 a barrel: We don't want it to, but that's what happens when it all runs out!

Related Stories:
· Fourth of July coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-03T15:45:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/3/72939/27007

The weekend's finally here! By now you should've finalized some sort of holiday action plan, but here's one last Fourth of July suggestion: Independence, Iowa. With just over 6,000 residents at last count, the town is certainly small, but as they say, "Everybody observes the Fourth of July, we celebrate it!"]]> kjb 2008-07-03T11:35:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/1/7225/22518

If you can't decide on a place to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, then give Southern California a chance to impress. It's probably the only place where you can see some fireworks, hit a beach celebration, catch a baseball game and stop at an amusement park.

Start out the SoCal celebrations at the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular: A Ball at the Bowl with the LA Dodgers. The Los Angeles Philharmonic celebrates the team's 50th anniversary with greats from team history along with baseball music. They also welcome special guest Randy Newman. The festivities take place July 2-4 and each evening ends with, what else, fireworks. Tickets will run you at least $10 for this one.]]> kjb 2008-07-01T09:35:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/26/74313/3690

When it comes to the Fourth of July, Philadelphia doesn't mess around. Things get started this Friday and continue through July 6 thanks to the celebration known as the Sunoco Welcome America Festival. This weekend there are family events during the day and free outdoor movies each night at different locations around the city, including a screening of "Rocky" on Saturday night.]]> kjb 2008-06-26T10:15:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/