Jaunted

Jaunted Interviews / Hipmunk / Travel / Travel Search Engines / Travel Websites / Animals / Travel Tech / → All Tags

Hangin' with The Hipmunk: What's Next for the Internet's Hot New Travel Booking Site?

He's an infographic fiend, our small obsession, and even our Travel Tweet of the Week; yes, he's the Hipmunk. This sprightly little chipmunk is no less than the mascot for the most exciting and fresh travel booking engine out there right now. Hipmunk.com, though less than a year old, has already become our default search site for pricing airfare and hotels, so we sort of crashed their headquarters last week in San Francisco.

If you want to read the tech trend story on how Hipmunk got started, there are plenty out there. The site had momentum from the first, seeing as how its founders—Adam Goldstein, Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian—are behind the popular social news sharing website Reddit and well known in their own rights. We could tell you all about that, but instead we're far more interested in things like the fact that they just bought an office couch (it's IKEA, and lime green)! And they're developing hoodies!

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Travel Contests / Cars / Travel / National Rental Car / Road Trips / → All Tags

Spill Your Travel Secrets to National Car Rental for 250K Airline Miles and More

There are plenty of travel contests going down this season, so if you’re feeling lucky you might just be heading out on vacation this summer for free. National Car Rental is the latest to throw another freebie option into the ring, and it’s not just for road trip travel either. The ultimate winner gets Elite status, free rentals and 250K airline miles. But wait! There's more!

The car rental company is eager to know some of your best travel secrets, tips, and tricks, and they’re looking for you to share such tips on Facebook in what they’re calling the Tales From The Road contest. “How do you go like a pro?” That's the question for now in this contest that runs through October in stages, and they'd like some answers, please.

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Super Bowl XLIII / Travel / Super Bowl Parties / Football / Bruce Springsteen / → All Tags

The Super Bowl Party Scene: Now With Fewer Parties

Even the Super Bowl—one of America's greatest standard bearers of extravagance and over-the-top commercialism—isn't immune from the recession blues.

No, they're not having any trouble selling those $3 million commercial slots, but it's looking like the week-long party in Tampa Bay is going to be a little less super than usual this year, with more than a few of the glitziest party planners giving it a pass.

The Washington Post reports Playboy and Sports Illustrated have both canceled their annual Super Bowl bashes while several talent agencies have done the same, and a celebrity golf tournament organized by two Tampa Bay Buccaneers players was canceled because of a lack of sponsors.

The NFL still expects 100,000 gridiron fans to make the trek to Tampa for Sunday's big game between Pittsburgh and Arizona. But don't expect any Britney/Justin bubble-era pop music at halftime—this year's show features the appropriately recession-friendly sounds of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Are you headed to the Super Bowl? Let us know how you're getting there or how you're celebrating.

· Economy Has NFL Feeling Less Than Super [WaPo]
· Super Bowl travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [NFL]

seattle / food / sake / travel / → All Tags

Booze From Asia is Classier, More Efficient

Belltown is officially the hottest, sexiest neighborhood in Seattle, yet somehow the vibe is that of a college town where every single student is celebrating their 21st birthday. if you've ever been to Santa Barbara on a Thursday night, you can visualize this.  

Amid this sea of hormones and smeared makeup, there's an oasis in the form of Umi Sake House, a relatively quiet, elegant lounge.  There's a sushi bar and full kitchen, but the emphasis is on the many different types of sake available by the bottle.

The slightly calmer crowd within is probably due to the prices: The cheapest bottle is $35--and the nectar therein is pretty gross.  True tastiness comes with a $150 price tag.  The space is nice as well, white and bright inside with a more demure "patio" out back.  We use that term liberally, as it's a Seattle-style patio: a room, with skylights.  There's also a DJ, but  he's spinning backgroundy music, not encouraging people to get up on the floor.    

Related:
Umi Sake House [Citysearch]
Sake to Me [Jaunted]

travel / beer / → All Tags

Fall Down Drunk in the Desert

People tend to associate Palm Springs with a certain kind of flashy glamour: Martinis and huge diamonds and sing-alongs at the piano bar. But there's a different side to Palm Springs, the side where all the locals hang out. Just down the road from Palm Springs proper is the town of La Quinta, where things are a little more rough around the edges. The Beer Hunter is a perfect place to spot year-rounders in their natural habitat, away from the elitism of tourist joints.  

The food is basic bar stuff with attempts at cuisine-ification, which means there's usually vodka or whiskey added to marinades.  But the food isn't really the point here, as the name would indicate.  The beer choices aren't listed on the menu, but come on a separate pamphlet crossed referenced by type and country of origin.  

Beer isn't the only thing people are serious about here.  There are also face-offs of arcade basketball to be won, games on one of the dozens of TVs to watch, and falling-down drunk members of the opposite sex to flirt with.  As always, the people-watching is funniest toward closing time, when people get tend to get overeager.  One might find oneself accosted by a slurring man who insists that he's a kangaroo and you're a joey and he just wants to protect you in his pouch. Hypothetically speaking, of course.  It's certainly different from the Palm Springs you've seen in movies, but it's got a charm of its own.

[Image via Mitchster]

Related Stories:

• La Quinta [TravelAdvisor]
  
• Czech Beer Still Tasty [Jaunted]

Travel / Kids / → All Tags

Lullaby for Seat 13B

Despite the paper's general reputation for being dry, the Wall Street Journal is a fount of salaciousness this week. Never mind the coverage of theme parks; today the WSJ tackles the divisive issue of sedating children--mostly infants and toddlers--when they travel.

Yes, some parents give their children antihistamines, like Benadryl--which counts drowsiness as a side effect--so that they'll be calm during a plane ride instead of turning into the screaming, seat-kicking monsters seated directly behind us. Other parents find this tactic reprehensible, preferring to distract their kids with DVDs, coloring books, and whatever else works.  Anyone who has ever watched a Baby Einstein DVD can attest to sedative properties as least as strong as Benadryl.

We wholeheartedly endorse sedating not just infants, but all children, up through the age of twelve. And Bendadryl doesn't go far enough: what about a little bit of whiskey in their milk? Maybe some children's chewable Xanax? Whatever gets you through to your destination with a quiet kid is alright by us.

Related Stories:
·   Work & Family [WSJ]
·   Theme Parks Tone Down the Excitement [Jaunted]

Tourism / Travel / Etiquette / Americans / → All Tags

Ugly Americans Get Schooled

Americans do not have the best reputation abroad. Whether it's a result of the Bush administration's policies or American egotism, their standing as thoughtful tourists could use some improvement. Enter non-profit group Business for Diplomatic Action.

Funded by a bunch of large American companies, the group will begin issuing a guide with sixteen tips, called the "World Citizens Guide", for Americans traveling abroad. Sadly, the tips are only mentioned in a WSJ article, which requires a subscription to read online. So, here are some of their tips, ever-so-slightly adbridged and edited by Jaunted, of course.

Avoid Boastfulness: Replace "We saved your asses in Dubya Dubya Two!" with "Thank you so much for joining the Coalition of the Willing".

Avoid Loudness: Instead of shouting "Phew! This little froggy is ripe," send a text message to your friend about it.  "P.U.! Smell you L8R, Francois," is an acceptable replacement.

Speak Slower: English as a second language speakers are more likely to respond to your request for directions if you speak to them in a clear, even tone. Speak to them as if they have a mild mental handicap, or are a very smart dog.

Dress Up: During the summer, remember to bring your dress shorts. Sweatpants with slogans on the rear end may be too casual for some religious shrines, so make sure to pack a plain grey or black pair.

Tone Down Talk of Politics: It can create an uncomfortable situation when a foreigner has a better understanding of our bicameral legislature than you do. To play it safe, ask their president's name, then make fun of how stupid it sounds if the conversation drifts towards political discussion.

Tone Down Talk of National Pride: If you are chanting "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!", make sure to do it slowly and clearly, so as ensure that locals understand what you are saying. Remember, you are a visitor in their country.

Eat Slower: Don't rush your meals--portions in McDonald's abroad can be up to one third smaller than those at home, so you'll want to pace yourself.

Yup, we're all about promoting cross-cultural understanding here at Jaunted.

[Image via MykReeve/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   The Middle Seat [WSJ]

Celebs / Travel / Las Vegas / → All Tags

Kevin opens up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Is there a better place to open up about your fledgeling marriage than at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. What is it about that hotel that disarms even the most wiley of celebs?

Oh, Kevin Federline, you stupid little pig. When will you learn? (Never? Better for us!) Perez Hilton reports that Kevin was recently approached at Hard Rock Vegas by an undercover reporter from In Touch Magazine. 'Cause Kevin is just dumb like that, he let slip that he's already consulted his lawyers and is going to argue that his prenup with Britney Spears was invalid. The amount of cash Kevin thinks his union with Britney was worth? $125 million dollars. Once again, Kevin's getting all mixed up, poor thing. It should actually be $125 dollars.

Related Stories
·   Hard Rock Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
·   Kevin Federline is Toast [Perez Hilton]
·   Britney and Kevin do Vegas, Just Not Together [Jaunted]

Celebs / Travel / Hotel Roosevelt / → All Tags

Paris and Paris rumble at the Roosevelt

Pity Paris Latsis. Not only did he have to endure the most public of breakups, but he then had to witness his ex-fiancé cavorting about with another, even richer, Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos III. What's a poor little rich boy to do? If you're a celebrity in H-town, the answer is to head off to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for a night of boozin' and rubbernecking. Paris L. (nicknamed Boy Paris, according to E! Online's Ted Casablanca) did precisely that, only to run into the one woman he'd been trying to avoid, Miss Paris Hilton herself.

"It was terrible," fessed his friend. "Paris was there. They had a terrible confrontation. We don't know why it wasn't in the gossips."

Well, hon, it is now! And P.L. even hit the Roosevelt soon after to celebrate an out-of-town friend's birthday. Way to stand yer turf, bro!

This makes multiple times in the past couple of months that the Roosevelt has resembled something out of West Side Story, yet we are fairly sure paying guests still can't get an ounce of service at the place.

Related Stories
·   Hotel Roosevelt Coverage [HotelChatter]
·   Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
·   The Awful Truth: Post-Hate [E! Online]