Travel Blog

Voyage Unlimited has launched a new travel store. They have a great variety of merchandise for sale. The site is geared towards travel related items. Check it out at http://travelstore.voyageunlimited.com

British Airways announced this week that it would initiate limited cell phone use on an upcoming route between London and New York City. Voice calls will not be permitted, but passengers will be allowed to send and receive text messages and e-mails.  read more | digg story

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10151758-1.html

Installed next to the walk-through scanners at Ben-Gurion airport in Israel, “MagShoe” announces within two seconds whether the footwear of the passenger standing on it contains unusual metal that might be a knife for a hijacking or a bomb detonator part. The TSA is currently assessing MagShoe’s feasibility for the USA. read more | digg story

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE49B2CL20081012

Airline fees are a controversial topic these days, the consumerist looked at the fees that airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least “fee crazy” airlines. Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead? read more | digg story

http://consumerist.com/5042052/top-3-most-and-least-fee-crazy-airlines

Now that you have climbed Buddhist temple stairs, stood on the killing fields and partied in Bangkok, you can spread the word to all those smirky friends that backpacking in Southeast Asia isn’t just for college kids trying to find themselves. Or you may want to keep the information to yourself so it will still be affordable next time you go. Southeast Asia is beautiful, culturally rich and a place where its easy to live off of $20 or less a day. You won’t even feel guilty eating greasy street food–the cheapest way to dine–because you’ll burn off all the calories on the trail. Go now and you’ll avoid the crowds that come in peak season but still benefit from the cooler weather.   read more | digg story

http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/backpack-in-southeast-asia-on-20-a-day/

I have always wanted a collection of brown leather trunks with brightly colored stickers from all the world’s corners. They remind me of travelers in the early 1900s who spent days on the ocean in order to reach their destinations. Back then, arriving at the destination was as much a part of the trip as the destination itself. This story has some pointers for researching and planning your own adventure on the high seas…     read more | digg story

Looking for someplace special to spend the Fourth of July? FP investigates five fabulous destinations where a summer getaway is next to impossible.

Locations include: Mount Kumgang, Kumgangsan Tourist Region on North Korea’s east coast, Baracoa on Cuba’s eastern tip, Mogadishu’s Beaches on Somalia’s east coast, Persepolis in southern Iran and Mandalay in Burma
read more | digg story

For a family vacations, we decided to head for the beach. There are many beach options along the eastern coast; Myrtle beach, Ocean City, Virginia Beach and many others. We chose to go to the Outer Banks (OBX) in North Carolina. Now that we decided where to go, we needed a place to stay. Instead of picking a typical hotel to stay at, we chose to rent a house for the week. The house rental went smoothly over the Internet and we were able to easily check into the house once we got to Kitty Hawk. The house was spacious and well supplied with all the necessities for living. We just needed food and alcohol.

In 1903, the Wright Brothers went to the Outer Banks and made the first successful flight of an airplane. In Kill Devil’s Hills, there is the Wright Brothers National Memorial Park that is built on the exact site they made their historic flight. The park consists of a visitor’s center and pavilion. Atop the hill is a stone monument dedicated to the Wright Brother’s amazing feat.

When you think of the beach, you usually think of water sports. The Outer Banks is no exception, there are the beaches of course. But more then that are the many places you can rent Jet Ski’s Sailboats, surf boards, kayaks and many other things to do on the ocean or in the sound. Kitty Hawk Water Sports offered sailing lessons, so we jumped at the change to learn to sail. The lessons lasted for 2 hours and cost $99/ person or $149 for 2 people. The lesson was a great introduction to sailing and was very easy to learn for beginners.

The Outer Banks also offers many different cultural experiences. Roanoke Island was the first attempt by the British to found a colony in the New World. You can visit Roanoke Island Festival Park or watch the The Lost Colony outdoor drama. There are also many shops and galleries all along the island.

Other activities that you can do on the Outer Banks is Miniature Golf, Go-Karts, 4WD Off Road Adventures and Lighthouse visiting just to name a few.

The Outer Banks is a great place to spend a little time relaxing and getting away for awhile.

Useful Links:

The Coastal Explorer
http://www.thecoastalexplorer.com/
Great resource for finding out where to stay and what to do on the Outer Banks.

Kitty Hawk Water Sports
http://www.kittyhawkwatersports.com/

Wright Brothers National Memorial Park:
http://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm

“Twenty- six miles across the sea. Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me”. As the song goes, Santa Catalina Island is 26 miles off the coast of Southern California. There are a few shuttles that will take you from various harbors to the Island; Catalina Express and Karmel Shuttle are the major ones. Catalina Express offers over 30 daily trips to and from Catalina for about $60 round trip. The 1 hour 30 minute trip is the best way to visit Catalina. Catalina offers you to do everything… or nothing at all. For some it is snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and fishing. While others may enjoy shopping, relaxing on the beach, horseback riding, or golf.

Departing the boat onto the pier, you will notice the many little shops and restaurants that line the shoreline. This is a great place to start for those who want to spend a little cash.  Spend sometime browsing the stores before you begin off on your adventures.

Catalina offers much more then just shopping. There are many tours available for trips around the island. There is a glass bottom boat and a yellow submarine tour provided by Catalina Adventure Tours. These tours offer you a great view of the sea life that surrounds the waters of the Island.

We took at cruise to Alaska during the summer months. The views from the boat and shore are not be be missed. As you travel along the Alaskan coast, you can see gorgeous views and wildlife upon the shore. On the way to the first stop of Whittier, AK, the cruise ship made a stop at Glacier Bay, which runs for about 65 miles long and 3 to 20 miles wide. The glacier from the ship was fabulous. You could see pieces of the glacier falling into the bay.

The ship then arrived at Whittier, AK. There is not much in Whittier itself, so just getting off the ship and exploring really isn’t an option. Whittier, is a launching point to visit Anchorage or the surrounding lands. We choose to go to Portage Glacier, Big Game Alaska and the Alyeska Ski Resort. For those who want to visit Anchorage, it is about an hour and a half drive, but worth it to see the capital of Alaska.

At Portage Glacier, we first were able to visit the visitor’s center at the edge of Portage Lake. There you can walk along the edge of the lake, but the glacier is nowhere to be seen. That is because it has been gradually been retreating and the lake is the result of that retreat. We then took a cruise across the lake to see the glacier. The glacier has been retreating at am enormous rate.

After Portage Glacier, we visited Big Game Alaska. Big Game Alaska is a wildlife and rehabilitation center for Alaskan wildlife. We were able to see eagles, black bears, bison, moose, deer, elk, caribou, and oxen to name a few. This reserve is dedicated to rehabilitation hurt wild animals, then releasing them back into their natural surroundings. This is a great place to visit and safely see animals that you would not normally be able to.

Next, we drove to the Alyeska Ski Resort. The bus stopped at the bottom of the mountain and we had to take the lift to the top. The views from the top were wonderful. We were able to see a panoramic view of the Alaskan land. It gives a great sense of the natural beauty of the region.

If you ever get a chance to visit Whittier, make sure you travel out from the coast and visit the surrounding countryside and see the natural beauty that is Alaska.