USA

How many of you dreamed of a vacation in Las Vegas but didn’t have the budget to fulfill your dream? We are happy to tell you that now you can spend a vacation in Las Vegas without worrying much about the budget. $44 — Las Vegas 4-Diamond Hotel on The Strip w/Breakfast — As seen on Travelzoo’s Top 20

The special room rates are available with a minimum two-night stay at Treasure Island and are for two persons and include the breakfast. In January the rates are slightly higher ($52 ... [read more]

I am one of those who think that cruises are for old people; but many of my friends (about the same age as mine) have been on cruises and totally enjoyed them. If you like cruises or want to experience something new now is your chance. Online Exclusives – Find the Perfect Cruise If you book now and depart in early December, some cruises are as cheap as $399 (14 nights) and you’ll be visiting both Europe and South America. If this doesn’t convince you, then you should know ... [read more]

When I recently read about a new string of murders in the Mexican border city of Juarez and then saw an article about how new murders break the 2008 record in Mexico, I couldn’t help but think about all the bad press our neighbors to the south have been getting lately. Between failed plane high-jackings, drug wars in the border towns and Swine Flu, Mexico has certainly had it’s fair share of negative news this year. In an already suffering travel year, it’s not hard to imagine that all this ... [read more]

Vegas is one of those places I definitely love to hate. While I am extremely fond of the city’s lack of open container laws and social acceptance of day-light drinking, I hate the plethora of fountains, green lawns and lakes in the middle of desert and kind of hate the over-the-top excess and tackiness synonymous with the city. That being said, from great shows to highly rated restaurants, along with some stunning deals on Vegas vacations, a little trip to Sin City has been on my radar recently. [read more]

With Labor Day come and gone, kids across the country have returned to school and the end of summer is official. While you may still be scrambling to book a last-minute vacation before the weather turns sour, fall is actually a great time to take advantage of a host of shoulder season deals. If you couldn’t get away this summer because of tightened budgets and higher travel costs, fall actually could be an ideal time for a shorter family vacation. Sure, you may have to pull the kids ... [read more]

As I prepare to kiss sun dresses, big sunglasses and sweaty nights goodbye, I am also welcoming a whole host of spectacular fall travel deals. While the season of long, hot days, festivals, river floating and sunshine may be over, the best shoulder season travel deals are just starting to be rolled out. With the traditional end-of-summer holiday weekend behind us and the droves returning to school and work until the holidays, fall is actually an ideal time to plan getaways and keep some extra cash in your pocket at the same ... [read more]

This past weekend I found a great dress for a wedding that just happened to be 50%. I celebrated my luck of finding a dress I probably would have paid full price for at half the cost with an afternoon cocktail. Now that the dress is taken care of, all I need to do is find the same sort of sale for my next vacationa great vacation I’d probably be willing to pay full price for at a fraction of the cost. This was made a little easier with Cheap Caribbean gret ... [read more]

A destination known as a great place to get in trouble (it does, after all, have the nickname of Sin City), not everyone immediately thinks of great restaurants when they think of Las Vegas. However, in a city that was built around entertainment, hotels, resorts, nightclubs and keeping visitors busy, there are also some of the country’s best restaurants featuring some of the best chefs in the industry.

This is exactly why a trip to Las Vegas’ restaurant week this year might be well worth your time. Lately Vegas has also ... [read more]

The home of booze, babes and gambling has been suffering with the downturn of the economy. Big time. As fewer businesses are booking conventions in Las Vegas and fewer travelers seem to have the disposable cash to take a trip to Sin City, the city has been hurting for tourist revenue lately. In fact, according to Bloomberg News, the MGM Grand (the biggest casino owner on the strip) in Vegas posted a $212.6 Million second-quarter loss. So, what does this mean for you? Some absolutely screaming good Las Vegas deals, ... [read more]

As someone who tends to do most things at the last minute, it seems a little early to start thinking about Holiday shopping, but that doesn’t mean some people aren’t already brainstorming their Christmas gift lists (or at least making plans for a shopping vacation). That’s why I thought I’d share this deal on Travelocity I stumbled across, which is offering vacation deals to New York for Black Friday. Travel to New York on Black Friday to Complete Your Holiday Shopping! Click Here for Great Vacation Deals to ... [read more]

I am a fan of the following things: Free stuff, coupons, cocktails, great shows, and any city that incorporates Sin  into its nickname. Lucky for me, all of these things have now combined into one great vacation package offer on Southwest right now. In fact, by booking your Vegas vacation by May 7, you can get $100 back (more money to spend on the blackjack tables). Save up to $100 when you book a flight + hotel of 4 nts or more at any Harrah’s properties. Use promo ... [read more]

Is love in the air this winter? If you are getting married this year, you may be in luck on being able to score a great deal on that romantically perfect honeymoon. With the economy struggling and fewer people booking vacations to the Caribbean, there are some amazing deals out there to be had. You could have the honeymoon of your dreams for a lot less money than you ever thought possible. Dream Honeymoons; Destination Weddings at Sandals Resorts! With so many great travel deals to be had, maybe a ... [read more]

It might be built on a swamp and it might be a political swamp, but the nation’s capital is still a great place for children to visit. I should know. Just about every year from third grade through eighth grade my class made a field trip to Washington, DC. It got to the point where I could give a tour of the city better than the tour guide and where I actually grew tired of the freeze dried ice cream at the National Air and Space Museum.

With its many monuments ... [read more]

We’ve been hyping summer cruises to Alaska for some time now on this here little blog. Alaska is truly one of the best places to do on a cruise. The only real drawback is that it is far away from where most of us live and as a consequence the cruises that visit the Last Frontier are usually more expensive than those going to the Caribbean and Mexico. That is not necessarily the case at the moment.

As we officially celebrate the first day of summer today we see that prices ... [read more]

Some people like to call Reno, Nevada a poor man’s Las Vegas. That isn’t exactly the label one wants to read when they are going to a city that is known for its gambling establishments. Perhaps a better endorsement would be to call Reno a luck man’s Las Vegas.

Poor or lucky, Reno is what it is, which is primarily a city of casinos. That means lots of large rooms with gaming tables where you never can tell what time of day it is. That means hotels that are ... [read more]

Did you know that this is The Year of a Million Dreams? If you have been paying attention to all the Disney commercials recently you couldn’t help but know this. Disney and dreams apparently go together like chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows. One person’s dream can be another person’s nightmare, however. Disneyland and the other assorted properties are the happiest place on earth as long as you have enough money to pay through the nose.

Southwest Vacations to the rescue. The little airline that could is doing its ... [read more]

Whenever you come across a travel description of cruises to New England and Canada you are almost always going to see the word “charming”. Unlike cruises to the Caribbean it would not be accurate to describe a Canada/New England cruise as a “sun getaway”. It would also not be right to label it “exotic”. Charming, however, fits the bill.

There is a charm to the way the costal towns in New England and eastern Canada go about things. These are places that are rich in history and where people cling to their ... [read more]

Fireworks, family and fun. Those are the things that many of us associate with the Fourth of July holiday. It was so very kind of the founders of the United States to choose to do the whole independence thing during the summer months. The extra day off during the summer is always a welcomed thing.

There is no shortage of choices available to those who are looking to get away for Independence Day. Heading to the beach is always a popular option, camping out in the woods usually doesn’t disappoint, ... [read more]

Everyone knows the legend of New York City. It is a great place to travel but it is expensive as heck. Everywhere you look there are hamburgers that cost $30 and beers that will run you $20. It is a place to go only if you share the same tax bracket as Donald Trump or if you have a couch to crash on in one of his apartment towers. You’ll need to cash in your 401K plan just so you can spend a night out on the town.

This is ... [read more]

It is almost impossible to believe that yet another generation of children is growing up with Mickey, Pluto and the Disney gang. With so many entertainment options available to children today, it speaks volumes that so many still enjoy Disney movies, cartoons and those big theme parks in Orland, Anaheim, Paris and Tokyo.

The Disney empire spreads its wings far and wide. That includes ruling the high seas, as well. Disney Cruise Line has a couple of boats that set sail on a regular basis from Cape Canaveral, Florida. ... [read more]

They call Alaska America’s Final Frontier. The second to last state admitted into the union is certainly not last when it comes to beauty. Alaska’s vast natural resources are legendary and no matter how great you have heard that they are you will still be blown away when you see them in person.

Stunning mountains, gorgeous glaciers, marine and land wildlife these are just a few of the attractions you will see while taking a cruise to Alaska. The famed inside passage is as beautiful a waterway as you ... [read more]

Perhaps it will be the indelible legacy of the 21st Century. No, not the Internet or artificial sugar made from real sugar. What I am talking about is our modern custom of combing two disparate words into one. For example, did you know that you can combine crud and nuts to come up with “crust”? You can also do it with spiffy and terrific so that it is “spifirific”. But did you know that there is something now known as a “mancation’? Tis true. If you ... [read more]

Many a baseball fan has made a summer pilgrimage to Boston over the years. The city is, of course, home to Fenway Park, one of the true jewels of the American sporting world. You can’t call yourself a baseball fan or even a sports fan until you have watched a game from the historic stadium. Just be forewarned that it is home to something called the Green Monster. Kind of scary sounding, don’t you think?

If baseball is not your thing, there are myriad reasons to visit Boston in the ... [read more]

Why did they decide to call it New Mexico? It is not like they came up with a newer, better formula like New Coke. Why not just call it North Mexico instead? And while we are at it, why did they have to name the biggest city in the state Albuquerque? Didn’t they realize that name is very difficult for those of us who are spelling impaired?

Thos are the only complaints I have about New Mexico and its biggest city. It is a lovely state with awesome scenery. ... [read more]

The Pacific Ocean in many parts of North America hardly lives up to its name “peaceful sea”. For large portions of the year the Pacific churns and turns and swells¦and, well, you get the idea. It isn’t exactly the ideal place to be on a cruise. All of that changes in the summer when the seas become a bit more pacific and the costal scenery more visible.

Norwegian Cruise Line has an excellent six-night cruise along the Pacific Coast. Starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ship first makes its ... [read more]

There is something special about camping. Maybe it is the misquitos or the prospect of getting eating by a bear or eating burnt hot dogs over a campfire that attracts so many of us to campgrounds in the summer and all year round.

It is more likely that we enjoy camping because it is a chance to get away from the grind, it is an affordable vacation option, and it affords us the opportunity to spend time in spectacular parts of the United States. It also gives us all an ... [read more]

It never ceases to amaze how different people in this country live in such different fashion. A person in New York City could go years without ever walking barefooted on grass. A person in a small town in the middle of nowhere could also go years without ordering sushi from a restaurant at 3am. Ours is a big and diverse country and we all go about living in it in our very own way.

AirTran has a deal that is being billed as a way to visit the big US ... [read more]

Unless you are a polar bear or a person who would like to be a polar bear, chances are you don’t think about traveling to Alaska much in the winter months. But once summer rolls around you might be like millions of people who dream about seeing the splendors of the Last Frontier.

It has reached the point where the Inside Passage between Vancouver and Juneau has become a veritable superhighway for summertime cruise ships. Everyone and their mother are yearning to see the glaciers and wildlife of Alaska and there is ... [read more]

The only thing more foolish than paying full price for a Las Vegas vacation is paying full price for a Las Vegas vacation and losing your mortgage while playing craps. As my grandfather used to tell me when I was a little boy, fly wisely and gamble even wiser. Or something like that. I don’t gamble. I hate making casinos go broke.

With all the Vegas offers out there how does one possibly choose which to take advantage of? That is an excellent question. You should take a ... [read more]

Is there a community in this world that does not have music? It would seem that music is one of the few common threads that bind humanity. We may not all like the Spice Girls, for example, but we all like something. This has always been the case. Even in ancient times people felt the need to make noise beyond the grunts and groans that come out of our mouths. Music is a universal phenomenon and it isn’t going anywhere soon.

Many people travel to listen to music in ... [read more]

It is hard to imagine that 42,807 people choose to live in the desert. That is the population of Palm Springs, California, a town with an average daytime high of 108 degrees in the summer. That is the population of a place that averages 354 days of sunshine per year and on average receives less than 6 inches of rain annually. How is a town that size able to sustain itself in a place that dry? Do the residents take their buckets and fill them up at the local ... [read more]

Mirrors on the ceiling and pink champagne on ice are not for everyone. I personally prefer mirrors on the floor and pink lemonade. There are, of course, more hotels in Los Angeles than just the Hotel California. The city and, in fact, all of Southern California has some excellent places to lay your head at night when you aren’t busy trying to make it big on the big screen.

Los Angeles area hotels are plentiful and as with most things involved with the city they range from truly memorable to truly ... [read more]

Here is a way to join the mile-high club without having to sneak off to a cramped airplane restroom while the rest of the cabin is watching a cheesy romantic comedy at 50,000 feet. Simply visit Denver, Colorado and enjoy the company of your significant other in the comfort of a bed, chair, swing, or whatever. After all, Denver is the Mile High City so by my calculations that means you will be in the club. Of course I am not president of the club so I don’t have the ... [read more]

The postcard had to be invented because of Vermont. Many years ago a person must have been traveling through the state without a camera only hoping to share the beauty with her friends and loved ones back home. The spectacular Green Mountains, the charming little villages, the clear blue lakes¦mere words could not do the state justice. She must have convinced someone to take a picture for her and to post it in the mail.

That is always how I envision Vermont. Having spent a lot of time there I ... [read more]

With its location on Lake Michigan and nearly constant air movement you would think that Chicago deserves to be called the Windy City. But did you know that there are a number of cities in the United States that have a higher average wind speed than Chicago’s 10.4 miles per hours?

Casper, Wyo. (12.9 m.p.h.), Boston (12.5), Buffalo (12), Milwaukee (11.6), and Honolulu (11.4) are all windier. Incidentally, America’s windiest city is Blue Hill, Mass., with an average velocity of 15.4 m.p.h. Now you know why people in Blue Hill live in ... [read more]

Forget Mardi Gras. The best party in New Orleans is Jazz Fest. It offers all the thrills and wonders of the other big party without the debauchery and annoyingness. Plus it features the best jazz music in the world. What could be better than that?

Just looking at this year’s scheduled artists makes my mouth water. There are not only the finest jazz musicians in the world, but also some great rock, blues and country performers. All of this takes place with the city of New Orleans ... [read more]

You know that Easter is right around the corner when you start seeing Cadbury Creme Eggs in all of the food stores. For 11 months out of the year these tiny little innocent sugar bombs are stored in the back aisles somewhere near the little candy hearts people eat on Valentine’s Day and the Christmas-tree shaped marshmallow candy. These are all foods that have been designed to have a shelf life somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 years.

The return of the Cadbury Creme Eggs is a sure sign that spring is ... [read more]

A free night is a free night even if it means staying in a dump. The Hotel Carlton is far from a dump.

The 163-room Hotel Carlton is a lovely, historic hotel located in downtown San Francisco. Originally built in 1927 and completely renovated in 2004, the hotel is a relaxing, intimate haven located five blocks from Union Square. Guestrooms feature exotic and enchanting photographs of sights from around the globe, inviting you to virtually tour the world. Take a short two-block walk to the California Street cable car line and hop ... [read more]

Sometimes economics can make no sense. If you add up the costs of gasoline, food, ferry fees and a night or two at a hotel during a road trip from San Diego, California to Victoria, British Columbia, you likely would be very pleased if you could do it for $180 in a car.

That is the amount that Holland America is charging for a 3-night cruise aboard the Oosterdam. Instead of sitting behind the wheel of a car listening to bad AM talk radio and occasionally stopping to eat Doritos at ... [read more]

What does a city that is defined by its waterways have in common with a city in the desert where water is piped in from hundreds of miles away? Absolutely nothing, but that is the essence of Las Vegas where things are so absurd that no one would ever question why there is a Venice hotel in the city.

As you likely know, The Venetian hotel has a reputation as being one of Las Vegas’ more upscale sleeping quarters. It hosts no less than 19 restaurants, it has the Guggenheim ... [read more]

Are there two more disparate places that are always linked together than Reno and Tahoe? Reno is all about city life. More precisely, it is more about gambling and enjoying the wonderfully wacky world of casinos. You could literally spend an entire weekend in Reno without ever breathing anything other than smoke-filled hotel air.

Tahoe is the exact opposite. It is all about nature and about being outdoors. Lake Tahoe is one of the country’s true treasures, its blue waters unlike any other. The mountains in Tahoe are ... [read more]

Sometimes I wish I could have been born in a different era. I wish that I could have been one of the early explorers in North America. Imagine the thrill it must have been for Lewis and Clark to turn the corner of a river and to come across a piece of scenery or an animal previously unknown to the rest of the world. Imagine the feeling that Davey Edward Jackson must have felt when he first settled in the valley that bares his name, Jackson Hole.

To have first ... [read more]

If you are looking for a quick little getaway to a destination that offers great history, food and nightlife, than look no further than Boston. Beantown is one of America’s great cities and it is ideal for a four-day weekend escape. Take a tour of where the country’s founders once walked, sit back and enjoy the eclectic scene in Harvard Square, and visit some of the best restaurants on this planet.

If culture is your thing, the city has several ornate theatres, including the Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston Opera House, The Wang ... [read more]

I’ll admit that I have always been a bit weirded out by the name Corpus Christi. Why a place in southern Texas would actively choose to call itself the Body of Christ in Latin is beyond me, but I guess the Spanish settlers who helped to found the place that it was appropriate at the time.

I’ll also admit that I have been surprised by how many deals I have seen recently on flights to and hotels in Corpus Christi, Texas. I am sure that it is a lovely place with ... [read more]

You might want to bring along some extra oxygen because Denali National Park in Alaska could very well take your breath away. The signature park of the Last Frontier, Denali is a sight to behold. It is a playground for animals like bears and caribou, while also serving as a playground for animals of a different sort, humans. It is the home of the tallest mountain in North America Mt. McKinley. It is 6.2 million acres of some of the most unspoiled and spectacular land on this ... [read more]

Have you seen the movie Home Alone? Of course you have. It is mandatory viewing for anyone who has children. It teaches us all a very important lesson about what happens when you leave one of your kids at home while you go away on vacation. Nothing good can come out of it even if your child can make adorable faces while putting on aftershave lotion.

In fact, you will have a much better time if you take the rugrats along with you. They might not always be happy ... [read more]

Dallas, Texas is a frequent destination for those who do business travel, but it also happens to be a place that some people choose to visit for pleasure. The “Big D”, as it is affectionately called by the residents who make it the ninth largest city in the United States, does things on a big scale. For example, the city has more restaurants per capita than New York City and Dallasites eat out about four times every week. That’s a whole lot of barbeque and Tex-Mex cuisine being consumed each ... [read more]

If George Washington were alive today he would likely want you to visit the city has sprouted out of the marshes and that bears his name. If he were alive today he would tell you to pay a visit to the Smithsonian Museum to further your understanding of the history of the country which he helped to found. If George were alive today he would point out Washington DC’s cherry blossoms in bloom and remind you to never chop down an apple tree without telling a lie. If he were ... [read more]

The glaciers are melting. That is the sad truth that scientists around the world are observing. It is terrible to think that in the next generation’s lifetime there may not be places like College Fjord in Alaska left.

Tucked into the corner of Prince William Sound, College Fjord is surrounded by over a dozen glaciers and is easily the equal of the more famous Glacier Bay. Some of these glaciers have spruce forests growing right up to the edge of the ice, giving a sense of scale not seen in ... [read more]

It rains every single day of the year in Seattle, Washington or at least that is what the people who live there would like you to believe. The facts say otherwise. Seattle does get its fair share of rainy days, but the vast majority happens in the winter months. During the summer, the skies are sunny and blue and there are few nicer cities to be than in Seattle.

One of the reasons why people in the Pacific Northwest talk to outsiders so much about the rain is that they know ... [read more]

When most people think of cruises they likely envision a trip to a location where the sun shines and warmth fills the air. The exception might be an Alaska cruise in the summer, but even that can be a sun filled affair. The odds aren’t great that you’ll see much sun during a cruise of the Pacific Northwest in late April, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful part of North America.

Celebrity Cruises offers up a 7-night Pacific Northwest cruise that begins in San ... [read more]

This is the time of year when the savvy cruise bargain shopper can pick up a real steal. If you shop early, you’ll likely beat all the other cruise wannabes to the best deals of the summer season.

One destination that was hot last season and surely will be even hotter this year is Alaska. More and more cruises are doing the Inside Passage which is great news for travelers looking to see an amazing part of the world without spending a small fortune.

Celebrity Cruises is offering a cruise that is ... [read more]

• Alaska
• Atlantic City, New Jersey
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Branson, Missouri
• California
• Colorado
• Chicago, Illinois
• Florida
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Grand Canyon, Arizona
• Hawaii
• Lake Tahoe, Nevada
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Nashville, Tennessee
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• New York City, New York
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Scottsdale, Arizona
• Seattle, Washington
• Sedona, Arizona
• Washington, DC
• Williamsburg, Virginia