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Tags: Airfare Sales / American Airlines / Southwest Airlines / Summer Travel / Airline News / → All Tags
Airlines Slashing Prices Deeper Than Usual For Fall
It's been a rough summer for the airlines and the upcoming fall doesn't look much better. Leisure travel is down and business travel, usually the airlines' bread and butter, is way down. The industry is responding the way industries respond to this sort of thing:
Airlines are cutting fares deeper than usual this fall in an effort to fill seats. American and Southwest both launched fare sales this week, and United is running several sales, too. While it's common for airlines to use discounts to fill planes during the slower fall travel months, the discounts this year are deeper and more widely available than last fall, said FareCompare.com CEO Rick Seaney.
The bargains aren't as enticing as what the airlines were doing right after the recession hit, but they're still objectively deep cuts and much better than anything you could have gotten last year.
Tags: National Parks / Active Travel / Summer Travel / Barack Obama / Presidential Travel / → All Tags
The First Family Packs Their Bags For An Old-Fashioned Western Road Trip
It won't be too old-fashioned however, as we’re thinking that they won’t be taking the family station wagon to get to the National parks they're visiting next weekend. President Obama and his crew will be hitting up some of the country’s natural gems including the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The trip hopes to highlight the national park system and encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.
The visit coincides with the park service’s fee free weekend, so the Obamas are clearly trying to save a couple of bucks. For regular park visitors this isn’t the best timing. The parks are probably going to be packed, especially at the Grand Canyon, where the normal entrance fee is $25 per carload. Add in a little security detail in preparation of the President’s arrival, and there’s going to be a big traffic mess.
Obama will be bringing his town hall style meetings with him, and will probably be chatting up the masses about his ideas regarding health care. He’ll also be swinging through Phoenix to speak at the VFW convention. Maybe after he’s done speaking, he’ll get a spot in line at one of our favorite pizza spots.
Related Stories: [Photo: Ken Lunc]
· First Family to Visit National Parks [CBS News]
· Three For Free: Summer Weekends at 100 National Parks [Jaunted]
· Presidential Travel coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Fireworks / Summer Travel / Monaco Travel / → All Tags
Kaboom! International Fireworks Competition Takes The Sky In Monaco
While stateside the year's highlights on the field of fireworks have already faded from the sky, this year's International Fireworks Competition is only getting started. The Monaco-based tourney kicked off last week with a €100,000 prize and high-powered bragging rights at stake.
Portugal and France face off against last year's champion Austria at the deep-water Port d'Hercule. The display with the best style, color, special effects and synchronization with music will get a repeat performance in November for Monaco's national holiday. Who knew the genteel principality was such a fan of the ol' boom boom pow?
Start strategizing your seat for the performances by Austria (July 24 at 10 and August 9 at 9:30) and France (August 23 at 9:30). Call the Jardin Exotique, which will be open free that night for viewing from its hillsides, at (377) 93 15 29 80 to reserve a seat if your yacht won't be available.
Related Stories:
· International Fireworks Festival [VisitMonaco.com]
· Daytime Fireworks, Cake, and "National Treasure" For The Fourth [Jaunted]
· Fireworks Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: pasujoba]
Tags: Open Thread / Summer Travel / → All Tags
Are You Flying More This Summer Because of Cheap Airfare?
Even with all the checked baggage fees that make us cranky beyond belief, airlines have surprised us this summer by putting out some crazy affordable air fares, particularly amongst the LCCs.
JetBlue has their "cheep" fares and Southwest essentially is letting you pay per mile later this fall. But quite a few of the big airlines have come up with good deals to Europe and Hawaii so far this summer (provided that you're flexible and flying out of the right hub, of course.) Indeed, FareCompare.com says that air fares are 63 percent cheaper this month than last year.
We here at Jaunted have done a healthy mix of traveling between planes, trains and automobiles. But we're more interested in you. So tell us--provided that you were never down with "staycationing" in the first place--do you find yourself flying more this summer rather than road-tripping, busing it or taking the train?
Let us know how you have been traveling this summer in comments below!
Related Stories:
· Are You Still Going to Europe This Summer? [Jaunted]
Tags: Beach Travel / Nude Travel / Summer Travel / → All Tags
Bare It All This Weekend At Our Top 3 US Nude Beaches
This weekend may be Independence Day, but hopefully it'll be hot and sunny enough on both coasts to celebrate a little something else: freedom from clothing. We've run through our rolodex of scandalous vacations locations to retrieve the the best nude beaches, one for each side of the country and a bonus for Miami.
· Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook, NJ
This is the clothing-optional mecca of the East Coast, since it's designated as the largest such beach and even offers police protection over the 5,000 or so visitors who drop trou here every summer weekend. Best of all, the nudity here is legal and within comfortable range of New York City for...you know...showing off your lack of tan lines at a cocktail bar.
Tags: Finland Travel / Food Travel / Summer Travel / Food Festivals / → All Tags
Finland's Throwing A Crayfish Party, And Everybody's Invited
Music festivals, swamp soccer and wife-carrying—there's already so much to do in Finland over summer, and the country continues to attract us in very clever ways, this time going straight for our stomachs.
August and September are crayfish season in Finland, and we've just realized we don't want to miss out on a Finnish-style crayfish party. These shindigs feature, of course, crayfish galore, and lip smacking and finger licking as you try to get the most meat out of your crayfish. But thats not all: "Essential ingredients of a successful crayfish party are a merry mood and schnapps songs." Aside from overdosing on crayfish, you can get drunk with the Finns and sing songs about beautiful women and beautiful crustaceans.
Wikipedia warns us there is now a limited supply of crays left in Finland and many are imported from the US or China, so perhaps taking a night-time crayfish-catching tour is a good strategy—they're easy to book during the summer season. You might however need to take your own schnapps with you.
Related Stories:
· Finland Makes Most of Summer Sunshine With a Slew of Music Festivals [Jaunted]
· Wanna Play Swamp Soccer? Head to Finland This Summer [Jaunted]
[Photo: villoks]
Tags: Biking / California Travel / Summer Travel / Ski-Resorts-in-Summer / → All Tags
Tear Up California's Mammoth Mountain On Your 10-Speed
Everyone knows that residents of California love their cars, but they’re probably stuck in them a little too much. That’s why we're looking to some offroading at Mammoth Mountain, just of the two-wheeled, human-powered variety. The ski resort has a lot to offer when the weather is warmer, and their mountain bike park has just opened for the season. Even without your car, you’ll be able to fulfill your need for speed with their downhill runs.
Of the different trails and runs for cyclists of all levels, both the Paper Route and Downtown runs will take it easy on you, while the Twilight Zone and Kamikaze represent the more black diamond options. With over 90 miles of trails, you should be able to find one you like, just remember your helmet and pads.
Tags: California Travel / Summer Travel / Wine-Tasting / Fourth of July Travel / → All Tags
We Might Consider Paso Robles This Summer After All
The city of Paso Robles firmly believes that tourists will be drawn to a series of their fun-filled summer events. So much do they believe it that they keep sending us offers for "affordable, family-friendly ways to ward off the mid-summer doldrums."
To the city of Paso: please consider this post our very public acknowledgment that, yes, our inbox works. To everyone else: airline prices and checked baggage fees suck and Paso Robles is highly accessible and some of these events genuinely seem interesting. So why not.
Tags: Vermont Travel / Lakes / Historical Travel / Summer Travel / Festivals / → All Tags
Lake Champlain Turns the Big 4-0-0
It's not every day you turn 400. Heck, it's not every day anything turns 400, but that big birthday is coming up for our old friend Lake Champlain—the Northeast's far quainter answer to the Great Lakes.
Okay well, the lake itself is probably a lot older than 400, but July 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain’s first sighting of it, and Vermont is going all out for its favorite body of water.
So how exactly do you throw a birthday party for a lake? Vermont has interpreted it as an excuse to celebrate all things aquatic, French, or both. The festivities kick off July 2nd in Burlington with Celebrate Champlain Burlington International Waterfront, a 13-day festival complete with French food, Quebecois artists, and concerts from big names like Tony Bennett and The Roots.
Events coming up in the ensuing months include a boat tour of more than 300 shipwrecks sunk beneath Lake Champlain, a French heritage festival in the tiny town of Vergennes, and tons more historical and education programs throughout the state all year long. For a full list, check out the Celebrate Champlain website.
Related Stories:
· Penguin Plunges Keep Burlington Fit [Jaunted]
· Eat 'n Sleep in Burlington :: Trattoria Delia and Lang House [Jaunted]
· Summer's Swimming Holes [Jaunted]
[Photo: john w]
Tags: National Parks / Active Travel / Summer Travel / Free / → All Tags
Three For Free: Summer Weekends at 100 National Parks
If you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon, you know what a bummer it is to pony up $25 per carload to get into the park. We realize upkeep and facilities aren’t free, but still, it’s a little hard to swallow when you just want to see nature’s beauty. Thankfully, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees for many national parks for three weekends this summer.
The dates of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16 will be free of charge. The first weekend is Father’s Day, so feel free to take dear old dad out for a hike or two if the weather’s nice. He’ll definitely appreciate the experience of spending time with you in the great outdoors much more than that novelty tie you got him last year.
Tags: Train Travel / Atlantic City / Travel Deals / Summer Travel / ACES / → All Tags
Atlantic City's ACES Train Cries 'All Afford' For Summer Travel
By now we really don't need to tell you how much the casinos have suffered during the recession; like us, you've probably received far too many "special weekend escape" mailings and suffered through the commercials promoting your local gambling mecca (Foxwoods--we're talking about you). It's no wonder then that Atlantic City is jumping aboard their own train to funnel in the cash this summer.
From June 1 thru July 5, AC's new ACES train direct service to and from New York City will run a summer special of $29 coach seats, each way. This saves about $20 per ticket, with which you could spoil yourself and upgrade for $25 to first class.
The deal, aimed at bringing staycationing New Yorkers down the shore to spend a few dollars, is appropriately named "All Afford!" Face it folks: it's either this train with food and beverage service included, or climbing aboard a dirty bus armed with KFC. We've done plenty of the latter, so perhaps it's time to suck it up, take the train, and leave the hand-i-wipes at home.
Related Stories:
· ACES Train [Official Site]
· ACES Stands For 'A Better Way to Get to Atlantic City' [Jaunted]
· Train TravelCoverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ACES}
Tags: Chicago / Cheap Travel / Summer Travel / Chicago Tourism / Barack Obama / → All Tags
Chi-Town's Free 'Instagreeters' Tour Obama's South Side
If you're a Chicago local giving in to a "staycation" this summer or a tourist keeping your trips domestic, the city is going to try their best to attract you down to their newest, hottest spot: President Obama's former residence.
Located on the south side of the city in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the Obama house is just one stop on the free walking tours leaving every Saturday from June 6 to September 26 at 10am thru 3pm from the Hyde Park Arts Center. Now you know we love free stuff, and so this tour appeals in terms of cost (none!) and historical and architectural significance.
When you aren't snapping pics of Obama's street, you're "Instagreeter" guide will take you by Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the University of Chicago. Tours are first-come, first-served and no reservations are needed; simply show up at the Arts Center and relish being away from the typical tourist traps of downtown and the north side.
Related Stories:
· New InstaGreeter Outpost in Hyde Park Features Free Walks
of President Obama’s Neighborhood [ExploreChicago]
· Chicago Offers Free Walks through Obama's Neighborhood [TravelPulse]
· Chicago's 'Bean' To Get Some Serious Competition This Summer [Jaunted]
· Chicago Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Obama's House photo: Abitare]
