Traveling Information

Southwest Obtains Lease Rate Reductions on 717s

Sarah Miles — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:16:50 +0000

Southwest Airlines has obtained more favorable lease rates on many of its Boeing 717 aircraft that joined its fleet as part of the acquisition of AirTran Airways. Southwest recently-released annual report noted the existence of “lease rate reductions negotiated for the Boeing 717 leases.”

While Southwest did not provide much more in terms of detail, the annual report for Boeing Capital Corporation suggests that it could be the lessor behind the rate reductions:

In the fourth quarter of 2011 we revised the contractual terms of our leases with AirTran in conjunction with a full guarantee from Southwest of those lease payment obligations. Rev

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Report: $1 Million of Cocaine Seized From Cruise Ship

Spencer Hackett — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:43:29 +0000

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has released details concerning the seizure of large amounts of cocaine from a cruise ship believed to be P&O Cruises’ Aurora. The incident took place on January 25 at Pier 35 in San Francisco and involved 13 kilos of the drug, according to a statement from the American law enforcement agency. According to news reports, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Edward Lowe confirmed that 7 kilos of cocaine had been seized from the cabin of an Australian national and 5 kilos had been taken from the cabin of a New Zealand couple in two separate searches. Find more…

Global Business Travel Association Announces New Initiatives and Resource For Australia & New Zealand

Anna Ewers — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:24:01 +0000

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) announced several new initiatives in the Australia/New Zealand region, following a recent announcement of the appointment of Welf Ebeling as Regional Director for Asia. In addition to kick-starting initiatives which have proved successful in Europe, such as an Australia/New Zealand Advocacy Group and a regional Strategic Benchmark Group for large corporates, GBTA Chief Global Development Officer, Paul Tilstone’s visit to Sydney on 22^nd of February will also see the beginning of an interview process for candidates for a new General Manager role for the region. Th

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Hummingbird

Sarah Miles — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:29:31 +0000

Hummingbird from Salento, Colombia

The beautiful glowing green hummingbird was seen flying around bird feeders in near Salento, Colombia during our hike through Valle de Cocora.

Ancient route draws pilgrims, trekkers in Spain

Spencer Hackett — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:34:35 +0000

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain – A pilgrim heading to Santiago de Compostela in ancient times could expect a warm meal and a bed after a long day’s walk. Today, you can expect a bar serving hamburgers, free Wi-Fi and a decision about whether a reiki or watsu treatment would better relieve your foot pain.

The pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, Spanish for the Way of St. James, has existed for more than 1,000 years.

The most traveled among several ancient routes leading to Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain, is the Camino Frances, nearly 500 miles long.

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Photo of the Week: Sunset on Lake Peten Itza, Guatemala

Anna Ewers — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:24:44 +0000

Some photos take themselves. I was moping around, feeling guilty for staying the night at a $30 eco-hotel and wandered out to the deck to watch the sun set over the lake to find this scene. I had to step about five feet to the right to line up the horse and the reflection and I had the shot. All I had to do was crop it.

To view image at full size, click HERE.

Mix it Up on Family Golf Vacations with Teens and Tweens

Spencer Hackett — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:19:53 +0000

The 2012 PGA Tour is just getting started, and many avid golfers are watching on TV. Seeing the stars on beautiful courses is also getting a lot of golf fans inspired to organize a family vacation that includes a couple of rounds of golf on courses that offer something different than their local club. But, what about the rest of the family?

Every golfer with kids, teens or tweens knows that balancing golfing desires with competing family interests can be challenging. If you are lucky, the teens might share your excitement for a family trip to play courses in Ireland or Scotland. Others, however, might roll their eyes at the idea of hitting the links as the high point of a family vacation. To keep them happy, you need to plan a vacation that can mix up the golf with some teen and tween friendly activities.

Here are some destinations in different parts of the country that might fit the bill:

Northern Ohio offers a number of great public golf courses including:

Avalon Lakes in Warren: After undergoing a renovation, this Pete Dye winner turned from a boring pancake of a course into a thrilling fun ride.
Little Mountain Country Club in Concord: a woodland wonder know for its amazing design frequently makes the list of the best public golf courses in Ohio.

Nearby fun activities for teens include:

Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky: Cedar Point is located west of downtown Cleveland. It has 16 (!) roller coasters with reassuring names like Disaster Transport, Mean Streak and Wicked Twister. Turn the teens loose here while you hit the links!
Jacobs Field in Cleveland : Known locally as the Jake, this is home field for the Cleveland Indians. This old style park is a favo

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Castaways on Fiji: Notes from the Coral Kingdom

Anna Ewers — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:18:07 +0000

QUALITO ISLAND, Fiji — We were dozing on the sand at the edge of the bluest lagoon I’d ever seen when suddenly I remembered. The snorkel trip. Grabbing our masks we rushed to the dive shack, catching the skiff as it was pulling out for the ride to the far side of the lagoon.

“You can’t go home until you’ve seen the Malolo Barrier Reef,” said Kima Tagitagivalu, dive guide at Castaway, a family-friendly resort on Fiji’s northwest coast. He checked off our names and handed us our swim fins. “A few years ago the district chief, Ratu Seva Vatunitu, made it tabu for fishing and collecting. The people — ev

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17 most luxurious O.C. hotels, restaurants

Sarah Miles — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:06:23 +0000

Seventeen restaurants and hotels in Orange County have earned a top hospitality award for their pampering service and luxurious surroundings.

The seven restaurants and 10 hotels are among 120 that earned the “AAA Four Diamond Award” for 2012 – an annual survey produced by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The four diamond designation is awarded to the top 3.8 percent of 59,000 hotels and restaurants inspected by the organization’s reviewers. Results were released Friday, Jan. 2

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Travel’s Silly Season

Spencer Hackett — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:41:14 +0000

Air travel typically slows in the dead of winter, and that lack of activity can lead to downright ridiculousness. This year, the media is loonier than ever with talk of a Delta-American merger and trumped up airline stocks. Joe Brancatelli shares secrets and proven tips for first- and business-class road warriors. Once upon a time, American Airlines was a true industry leader. Today, the financially struggling carrier may be in line for something it never considered—bankruptcy. The nation’s carriers detail all the ludicrous and infuriating charges they impose on travelers. Yet, in the funhouse-mirror world of airline profits and losses, those extra costs placed on us aren’t doing much real good for them. Find more…

Ringing in the New Year at Parisian Churches

Sarah Miles — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:06:55 +0000

Few holiday classical music concerts draw more devoted audiences than those that take place on New Year’s Eve at two of the Pariss most splendid and historic churches, L’Eglise St. Germain des Prés and Ste. Chapelle.

Both offer high quality music in particularly atmospheric settings. St. Germain des Prés, the oldest church in Paris, was built in the sixth century and boasts a Romanesque nave and a Gothic choir with gilded capitals, while Ste. Chapelle is a jewel of Gothic architecture, with radiant stained glass windows.

This year’s program at L’Eglise St. Germain des

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State Capitol Lecture Explores Decorative Arts of the Executive Mansion

Sarah Miles — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:37:35 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. — On Saturday, January 21, learn the stories behind some of the Executive Mansion’s furniture and artifacts with Maria Shevzov, acting curator of decorative arts at the N.C. Museum of History and North Carolina’s Executive Mansion. The free lecture takes place at 1 p.m. in the old House Chamber. In this multimedia presentation, Shevzov will introduce several objects from the collection to discuss the medium, the use of the object, and the private lives of the public families who used these items. When the Executive Mansion was completed in 1891, high construction costs limited the amount of money that remained for the purchase of furnishings. Dan

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Jackson Hole

Anna Ewers — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:28:32 +0000

Gnarley and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are synonymous. Even though the mountain’s epicness usually refers to its out of bounds territory, with over 4,000 feet in vertical rise, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s terrain leaves something to desire for every type of skier and snowboarder. It’s the ultimate mountain with the ultimate terrain.

Something that many people are not familiar with is how it came to be one of North America’s greatest ski destinations. Skiers started scaling and descending the Tetons as early as 1929. From th

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Eating Local Food in Kuching, Sarawak

Spencer Hackett — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:34:27 +0000

Eating local food in Kuching, Sarawak is one of the things every traveler or visitor must try when you are here. The choices are totally different from West Malaysia and Sarawakian Food in very unique in their own ways. You can actually find them at a number of places around Kuching town especially when you walk around the main town. Usually when I visit Kuching town, especially around the Waterfront area, I would explore new restaurants and cafes in search for some exotic Sarawakian food like the Ayam Pansoh in the picture above.

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Jersey to Entice Gastronomes with Food Festival

Anna Ewers — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:15:52 +0000

Fans of top quality food and beverages may wish to plan a summer visit to Jersey this year, as the destination has announced its second annual food festival.

Running from the 16 to 27 May, the Jersey Food Festival celebrates the island’s various speciality foods, including the Jersey Royal Potato, local shellfish and dairy produce. The festival promises to offer something for every palate, from fans of the finest gourmet foods to those interested in the region’s renowned local produce. Jer

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