Travel Photo Tuesday: Washington DC

Washington Monument in DC - it was an absolutely gorgeous day in October and we packed as much of DC as we could into 8 hours.

Travel Photo Tuesday: Boston, MA

We took a water taxi to the airport the last time we left Boston, and it so great! There were some really great views of the skyline, and we had lots of fun balancing in the boat to take the photos we wanted.

Budget Travel

Of the three or four travel magazines I subscribe to, my favorite is Budget Travel. I love them best because they have the most articles I feel I need to save - travel tips, travel stories, travel websites, travel photos, travel resources, the list goes on and on.

And recently, I started subscribing to their blog, This Just In. Some of the entries are long. Some are short. Every entry has something to learn. It's such a great resource for keeping up with travel and deals that are going on.

The article I just finished reading that inspired this post was this one: Vanish With A Trace. As a "victim" of lost luggage, I understand just how frustrating and time consuming it can be to have your things misplaced by an airline. While I'm not sure if I would use a service like the ones they reviewed, it's nice to know that there are options out there for travelers!

Anyway - if you're looking to subscribe to a travel magazine, I would highly suggest Budget Travel. And if you don't want a physical magazine? You should definitely be following their website and blog!

Travel Photo Tuesday: Farmer's Market in Montreal, Canada

The last day of my trip to Montreal, my friend took me to a giant farmer's market close to where her apartment was. Everything was so vivid and fresh that I wish she'd taken me my first day there so I could've gone back more than once.

Things to do: Afternoon Tea in Victoria, Canada

I am one of those people who thoroughly enjoys tea. I love tea - the flavors, the process, the tradition, the cute little pastries and sandwiches you get with it, everything.

And when I think of afternoon teas, one of the places that comes to mind is the afternoon tea served at The Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, Canada.

The Empress is a gorgeous hotel, and their afternoon tea feels so sophisticated and fun. I highly recommend splurging on this treat if you're on Victoria or in the Vancouver area.

Travel Photo Tuesday: Costa Maya, Mexico

As I get ready to go on Mayercraft 2009 to Cabo San Lucas, I find myself looking at all of the photos I have from other "tropical" vacations. This is one of my favorites - from a secluded beach in Costa Maya, Mexico. The weather could not have been more perfect that day, and the water was calm enough for all of us to go play. My only regret was that we didn't get to stay longer in this spot.

Awesome Resource: GoGo In Flight

Another great advance in technology - Internet access is now widely available on airplanes!

A co-worker of mine recently emailed me in flight, and let me know about this website when I asked him how he was emailing me while in coach. Apparently, GoGo In Flight serves numerous airlines and enables you to get wireless on the plane.

It looks like there is a very limited offering of this service so far - American Airlines offers it on flights to and from JFK to San Francisco and Los Angeles, but there are a handfull of other airlines that will be offering it soon.

Prices:
For laptops: $9.95 for flights under 3 hours, $12.95 for flights over 3 hours
For PDAs: $7.95

Overall, this is great if you're a workaholic or as addicted to blogging and Facebook as I am. Downside? You're now reachable even in flight, when it used to be your only reprieve!

Cruises: What to pack.

At the end of this month, I'll be going on my third cruise. Obviously, this by no means makes me an expert on what to pack for them. But, there are a few things I wish people would have told me before I went on my first one.

1) If it's a regular cruise, you will most likely need "dressier" clothes for the dinners. In addition, many cruises have "formal nights," where you get all kinds of decked out. You can skip these, of course, but that wasn't an option for me as I would miss the amazing food that comes with dinners. I packed two cocktail dresses and a pair of black pants for my first cruise. I would stick to black pants and nice tops in the future.

Travel Photo Tuesday: Trinity Church, Boston

Trinity Church in Boston, MA. Miss M and I were there in June for a friend's graduation from Harvard, and it was just beautiful. This photo, and the accompanying memories, are some of the reasons I love Boston so much.