Travel Tips & Trips

Tuesday

Aug242010

Santa Fe Sage Inn: A perfect cost-conscious choice

Every once in a while a travel hunch pays off. Such was the case during a recent stay at the Santa Fe Sage Inn. I’ve had the Inn on my travel steals and deals radar for awhile. To keep abreast of their latest news on special savings and vacation packages, I subscribed to their newsletter and followed them on facebook and twitter, but up until now, I hadn’t had a reason to book a visit.

I love a good deal as much any traveler on a budget. And finding one in trendy Santa Fe, especially in the heart of the summer high season, can take some sleuthing.

The Sage Inn promised affordable downtown lodging with a slew of tempting freebies - complimentary continental breakfast, free wireless high speed Internet, comfortable renovated rooms, free parking, and free Plaza shuttle. So when my husband’s college-aged granddaughter came to visit and wanted to spend a few days in Santa Fe before heading back to our place in the southern mountains of New Mexico, the Sage Inn sounded like just the ticket.

And it was. It was also clean, convenient, and super friendly. Imagine that.

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 11:49AM

Monday

Aug232010

Is There An Adventure In Your Future?

Ellen Barone

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most adventurous of us all?

photo by Alena_Chris via photobucket image sharingDoes the unknown freak you out? Do you see commonality where others see differences? How do you feel about taking risks? Do you leave the BlackBerry at home? What about travel planning. How much is too much?

Take this fun Adventure Travel IQ test I created for Canadian Mountain Holidays and find out.

Tell me your score and I’ll tell you mine. :)

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Monday, August 23, 2010 at 1:39PM

Thursday

Aug192010

Ten Tips for Travel Photography

Guest Blogger

a guest blog by Ewen Bell

I’m thrilled that Ewen Bell of PhotographyforTravellers.com agreed to share his top tips for travel photography with us. I say “Ditto”!

Nepal Kathmandu Valley photo by Ewen BellRead on for Ewen’s advice for how to return home with vacation pictures that will make your friends and family feel they went along on the trip.

1. Get Closer

The easiest way to improve your photography is to get closer to the subject. The world changes when you are closer to it.

2. Go Slow

Take your time and you will take better photos. Rushing about gives you lots of shots that you might not want to keep, so maybe it’s better to go slow and enjoy the travel.

3. Shoot Wide

Get a wide angle lens and get more into the shot. Many compact cameras shoot the equivalent of 24mm wide, and that’s good.

4. Look for the Light

Cameras shoot light not objects, so you have to practice seeing the light as your camera does. Lovely light makes for lovely photos.

5. Ask first

Show respect for other people and ask permission before shooting. It avoids offending strangers and gives you a chance to better connect with the locals. Getting local is what it is all about!

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Thursday, August 19, 2010 at 6:58PM

Monday

Aug092010

Take the Stress Out Of Air Travel

Ellen Barone

With their hard plastic chairs, plastic food and service to match, airports are about as inviting as a root canal. Sure, elite members-only lounges are a wonderful perk if you have access. But thankfully, more and more airports, especially in Europe, are offering in-house options where even the economy-flier can relax, work and freshen up in civilized surroundings. Here are a few airport rest-stops worth checking out next time you’re passing through.

MUNICH AIRPORT photo by llinke via flickr (commons license)

MUNICH

As the five-star Kampinski Hotel Airport Müchen, designed by Helmut Jahn, passengers are welcome to use the indoor pool, sauna, steam bath, whirlpool and gym for 22 euros. Thus refreshed, head to Airbräu, the world’s first airport brewery with an outdoor beer garden, for a cold one brewed right on the premises.

HELSINKI-VANTAA AIRPORT

At Helsinki’s award-winning airport, known for its Finnish cutting-edge design and first-class telecommunications capabilities, Finavia offers free unrestricted wireless Internet connection, but for a private microenvironment where you can watch a film or work online in peace and techy comfort, check out the “artpod” chairs at eService Bar near gate 20.

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Monday, August 9, 2010 at 9:48PM

Thursday

Aug052010

Looking For Adventure This Fall?

Ellen Barone

Summer is winding down, but there is still plenty of time left to travel in 2010. If you’re hoping to visit some of the world’s most popular vacation destinations, without the hassle of the crowds, autumn is the perfect time to do so.

photo courtesy of Austin-Lehman AdventuresFrom Yellowstone to Utah and Arizona, adventure travel specialists Austin-Lehman Adventures offer a tempting line up of fall adventures to choose from. They also report space available on several of their favorite biking tours in Europe.

Learn more at www.austinlehman.com

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Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 10:28AM

Wednesday

Aug042010

Travel to Bhutan on Assignment with National Geographic and WorldNomads.com

Ellen Barone

Travel Photography Scholarship - Bhutan

WorldNomads.com is giving one exceptional individual the chance to travel with National Geographic on-assignment photographer Jason Edwards to The Kingdom of Bhutan - Land of the Thunderdragon. Apply and the winner could be you!

photo by Wonderlane via flickr (common license)

Without a doubt, mentors have played an inspiring role in my life, helping me build the skills necessary to transform passion to profession. So it is with great enthusiasm that I share this amazing Travel Scholarship program from our travel insurance partners at WorldNomads.com that gives passionate individuals the opportunity to further their skills through professional in-the-field mentorship. There’s no better way to move forward than learning on the job from some of the best in the biz.

Apply by October 17, 2010 and you’ll qualify for the chance to travel with National Geographic on-assignment photographer Jason Edwards to The Kingdom of Bhutan - Land of the Thunderdragon! It’s that easy.

Plus, the lucky scholarship recipient will also win AU$2000 worth of Pentax photographic equipment. NICE!

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 10:43AM

Wednesday

Aug042010

How to avoid those outrageous hotel add-on fees

Marti Mayne

Look for complimentary homemade pie at Rockland Maine’s Berry Manor Inn 24-7-365. Photo by Jumping Rocks. a guest blog by B&B expert, Marti Mayne

Mark Orwoll, trusted travel journalist, recently published a story about the exorbitant $12 hotel minibar fee for a can of nuts (which also resulted in a $12 stomach ache). This confirmed my contention that B&Bs are simply the better way to stay. In his story about the world’s most outrageous hotel fees, Orwoll unveils how hotels stand to gain $12.5 billion in add-on fees that you simply do not find at a bed and breakfast. I know I beat my “B&Bs are more affordable” drum over and over, but Orwoll’s insight into the ever-increasing hotel add-on fees proves my contention.

Read on and you may never stay at a hotel again.

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 9:29AM

Tuesday

Aug032010

Is there a polar bear in your future this fall?

Ellen Barone

I’ve always wanted to see the polar bear migration in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. With regret, I’ll be off adventuring in Scotland in October when space is still available on The Great Canadian Travel Company’s fall migration tours. Perhaps you can make it. Hope so!

Better still, if you do go, I hope you’ll share your experiences and photographs in a guest blog. Read on for details…

Every autumn, polar bears gather along the water’s edge near the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on the western shore of the Hudson Bay, about 650 miles north of Winnipeg, anxiously waiting for sea ice to form. Once the bay freezes over, hungry bears move out onto the ice where they will spend the winter months hunting seal.

photo courtesy of Great Canadian Travel Company

The Great Canadian Travel Company, which has been operating polar-bear observation tours to this area since 1980, reports that there is still limited space left on its 2010 polar bear tours.

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