...We're just flying in it. More and more, airlines like JetBlue and Ryanair should be looked at less as upstarts and more like big-time players in the industry. Recent news points out that the growth of smaller airlines isn't going to stop any time soon--and that the traditional airline business model is in trouble.

In the transatlantic market, Canadian carrier Zoom Airlines and Scotland's FlyGlobespan are expected to start flying from New York City (JFK) to London (Gatwick) and Liverpool, respectively, this June. Ryanair, the stalwart low-fare carrier with hubs all over Europe, recently said it also plans on getting in on the transatlantic market within a few years -- and get this, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told a European trade publication that he expected to offer one-way fares crossing the Atlantic starting at all of $12!

Arthur Phillips, author of the best-selling novels Prague and The Egyptologist, talked last week with BudgetTravelOnline about literary tourism and his latest novel, Angelica, which is a ghost story set in London.

Read the fun, Web-exclusive interview by clicking here. You'll find an excerpt of Angelica, which hit stores last week, by clicking here.

Budget Travel's top picks on where to dine-out in Barcelona can be found by clicking here.

And we're glad to say that Gridskipper is also dishing on the best places to eat cheap in this Spanish city. Click here for their list.

Want a chance to be a travel blogger? Post your best travel entry in the comments field below by April 30, 2007. We'll pick the 4 entries that Budget Travel's editors think are best, based on writing quality and "informativeness." Then we'll post them on our blog. The person whose entry receives the most comments during that week will be a guest travel blogger on our site for a week, plus win a $500 gift certificate. In the event of a tie, the editors will decide the winner based on which entry, in their judgment, received more positively compelling comments.

My wife would love to bring our boys, ages 11 months and 3 years, to Europe. That is, until I remind her of how difficult the trip would be. The flight, of course, could be a nightmare. We're normally pretty exhausted chasing the kids around, and jet lag could push everybody over the edge. And then when we got to Spain or Italy or wherever, it would be tough for all of us to stay in a reasonably priced hotel room and actually get some sleep. Figuring out hotels that would be child-friendly is difficult in the U.S., let alone overseas.

Until now, that is. A couple of interesting new websites focus on family-friendly hotels and resorts in Europe. CiaoBambino.com specializes in Italy, and also has some recommended properties in France and England. The site, run by a couple in California, lists everything that a mom would want to know -- not only if the place has cribs and highchairs, but also how level the grounds are around the hotel (if it's on a big hill, you'll never be able to put your toddler down), not only if there is a pool, but if there is a gate and a fence for the pool, and how high the fence is. The site also details activities in the area from horseback riding to cooking schools, and what ages the activities are right for.

BabyFriendlyBoltHoles.co.uk lists resorts, hotels, and ...

For Budget Travel's May issue, we compiled a list of 15 Places to Visit Before Age 15.
Not all of our readers agreed with our list, which you can find by clicking here. Among the passionate complaints is the question: "What planet are you all living on?"... (Feel free to add your own opinions in our comments section.)

Ever wanted to go between the moon and New York City? Head over to 43places.com, where you can browse hundreds of different places both familiar and fictional. The free (just create a profile) site is based on the idea that every person should visit (or aspire to visit) about 43 places. Travelers can make lists of the places they want to go and help others by rating all the places they have been. Places can range from well-known cities to fictional settings, such as Narnia and Middle Earth.

For travelers, the site pretty much serves the same function as TripAdvisor, letting users post their own thoughts about places, but it adds a dimension by allowing people to post thoughts about places they'd like to go. The site also allows users to add descriptive tags to places, such as "cafe," and then search to find other locales that have the same tags, such as other cafes worldwide.

43places.com fits nicely within the ranks of TripAdvisor and IgoUgo. It's pretty fun to see where other people have been compared to where they want to go; just watch out or you may go mad to the tune of Christopher Cross.--Lindsey Ramsey

The Lost Girls are accustomed to rubbing elbows with wild things in the concrete jungle they call home (a.k.a. New York City), but they weren't prepared to have monkeys on their back when they visited Monkey Island Preserve in the Peruvian rain forest. The hairy chimps dropped onto their heads from branches above until the women appeased them by forking over bananas as a peace offering. Despite the animals' mischievous ways, they contemplated adopting this little one but couldn't fit him in their backpacks. (Kidding!)--The Lost Girls

See scenic photos taken by the Lost Girls by clicking on this webpage and clicking on the "Launch slide show" link. Read more about the Lost Girls' adventures by checking out their blog.

Go, us! Reader's Digest has included our new book of reader tips, The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers, in its Best of America issue. (They called it the Best Itty-Gritty Guidebook.) But that's just not good enough for us. You can vote for us as one of the best of the Best of America here.

--Today's fun fact: "In Ireland, some rental agencies apply an extra fee for travelers age 70 or older; travelers over 75 can't rent at all," reports Ed Perkins at SmarterTravel.com. "In Israel, travelers over age 75 can't rent at all, and in Romania, the cut-off age is 70."

--Be a Hawaiian Cowboy for a day. Take a break from the tiki-torch circuit with a day-trip to the 8,500-acre Kahua Ranch on the Big Island. Brush-up on your lassoing skills, chug beer around a campfire, and learn to line-dance, all for $95 per person, according to the Chicago Tribune.

--Try a Japanese sampler: The city of Kyoto has made it easier to be an armchair traveler by launching its first tourism website. The site's best part is its list of the 100 best things to do in the city. One example: The summer festival in which fishermen use trained birds to catch sweetfish.

Yesterday the U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory on Mexico stating, "violence by criminal elements affects many parts of the country, urban and rural, including border areas." The warning is in response to recent narcotics-related violence, and while there's no evidence that Americans have been targeted, the agency recommends that travelers to the country use caution in unfamiliar areas. Which made me think -- does Mexico have a similar travel advisory for people traveling to the U.S.? It doesn't, but perhaps it should.

In the wake of our country's deadliest mass shooting in history, it seems hypocritical to warn against perceived threats abroad. What do you think? Should visitors to the U.S. think twice before booking their next vacation here? Is it right for a single act of violence to mar the reputation of an entire nation? Should the global community be advised not to travel to the U.S? Let's hear your thoughts. --David LaHuta

After Budget Travel magazine published its Cool Thrills List for 2007, this website asked you to tell us about the most thrilling thing you did on a trip. We got scores of great entries, and it was really hard to pick a winner. Yet we've done it...

Congratulations to Robert Mitchell, of Guilford, Conn., who has won a Sony Reader, for his story of seeing lava eruptions from the crater of the Stromboli volcano in southern Italy.

Read his entry and runner-up entries [which we've edited for space and clarity]...

Finding the cheapest airfare is a game -- and often, a maddening one at that. Flight prices fluctuate all the time, and the only way to monitor all the ups and downs is with frequent searches. This can obviously lead to shopping fatigue: Who has the time to punch in dates and destinations into a handful of booking engines several times a day?

A few websites have begun doing the searching for you. (More on those sites in a moment.) The best option of all may be a new site, Yapta.com. Still in beta-testing stage, the site's entire mission is to handle all the searches for you. Members plug in their dates and routes, as well as a price threshold. The site does several price searches per day, and as soon as the flight drops to that specified price, the member gets an e-mail alert. Members can also download Yapta's software and get messages instantaneously on their desktops, if they prefer. Membership is free, though so far the service isn't available to the general public. Perhaps by this summer it'll be available to everyone, the company says, but nothing's been decided for certain.

As a member of the media I've been given a sneak preview of the site and have been testing it out. A couple things to note:

This Just In recently offered readers some tips on carrying their money overseas. Nine readers responded with their own stories. Here are some highlights...

Just got back from 9 weeks in Brazil. I contacted my credit union (credit card and atm card) and Capital One. Neither charged surcharges for use in a foreign country. Capital One also listed the exchange rate for each transaction. the only bank that I paid a surcharge for withdrawing cash was CitiBank. By the way, in case it hasn't occurred to someone, take your ATM card, withdraw a little cash as you need it, IN THE FOREIGN CURRENCY, and there are no exchange fees! I love it!--Diana Brueckner

I had forgotten to call Mastercard before a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. On Friday evening, I wanted to get pesos from an ATM, but the machine kept my card and gave me a message to call my bank. When I called Mastercard, they told me they thought the card might be stolen. I had to wait until Monday to go to the Mexican bank in person to retrieve my card, and they were reluctant to return it to me. What would I have done if I was not staying in Los Cabos until Monday?--Phyllis Learn

I let my credit union (ATM) and credit card company (MC) know I would be traveling in Japan, where almost no non-Japanese ATM cards are accepted. They both thanked me, and I had no trouble using or getting a cash advance on the credit card. The ATM card worked only at the Japan branches of Citibank, but without glitches. In spite of the problems others describe, I'd say letting the companies know is worth a try.--Linda Bowman

We all know that flying isn't good for the environment. On June 1, Delta Air Lines will become the first U.S. carrier to give passengers the option of doing something to counterbalance the global-warming effects of flying.

Every time someone buys a flight at delta.com, he or she will be given the option of donating an additional $5.50 per domestic round-trip as a "carbon offset." The money goes directly to The Conservation Fund, which plants trees to offset carbon emissions from flights. We applaud the initiative but wonder if it's enough.

We're curious what you think. Should airlines add a $5.50 fee to the price of every domestic round-trip flight and then hand that money over to organizations that plant trees? Vote in our poll by clicking here.

British Airways has a surprise sale on flights out of its U.S. gateways for travel between May 28 and Sept. 5. Starting fares (before taxes) are $558 for New York City; $598 for Boston, Philadelphia; $618 for Washington, D.C.; $758 for Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Book fast, as tickets won't last. Sale ends Thursday. The deal includes a free-sightseeing tour. For details, click here. Other airlines have lowered their fares to compete, making today a good day to book a summer trip to London on any airline.

For a how-to-guide to teatime in England, click here for the story "Pinkie's In!"

Why write a blog about your travels? Maybe it's because you want a chance to win $500 in our "Blog-Off Contest." Or maybe it's because you eventually want to become a professional travel writer like Rolf Potts, who explains how he jump-started his career in this blog post.

Or maybe you just want a more intense travel experience. At least, that was the case for friends Holly Corbett, Jennifer Baggett, and Amanda Pressner, who hit the road for a year to blog about their round-the-world travels. They call themselves The Lost Girls, and here's how they describe the main appeal of blogging a trip: "The simple process of articulating a personal travel moment and sharing it with strangers all over the online world can make you more appreciative and grateful for the opportunity you had to take the trip in the first place."

For 10 tips on how to start a travel blog, click here to read an online Q&A with the Lost Girls.

And if you have a favorite "non-professional" travel blog (even if it's your own), let us know by posting a comment.

Perhaps you're put off by the weak buying power of the dollar against the euro, which makes France unusually pricey this summer. If so, consider visiting Montreal, where your benjamins will go much further. You'll find our guide to this Canadian city by clicking here. This story is accompanied by a neat online map, which marks the city's key destinations.

You can also find the best deals on hotel rooms during the city's annual jazz festival -- with prices starting at $119 per room -- by clicking here.

Many of our readers such as these guys) enjoy buying fun gifts at local supermarkets when they travel. We're looking for ones to print in Budget Travel's next issue. Send your pics to us by email: letters@budgettravel.com.
Or post your story in the comments section below. Thanks!

(The image on the left is of a $4 bag of dates with a silly label on it -- "Dat'cha!" --that was recently for sale at the Julius Meinl store in downtown Vienna. But surely you've found supermarket souvenirs that are more fun or exotic than that. Hope to hear from you soon!)

If you've ever thought about retiring to Mexico on $600 a month, you'll find the definitive article on the topic by clicking here.

Oh, and Budget Travel's staff members recently revealed the places where they'd most like to retire. (Click here for the list.) We encourage you to share your preferred retirement destination by posting a comment below.

It's your last chance to enter our Blog-Off Contest.

Want a chance to be a travel blogger? Post your best travel entry in the comments field below by April 30, 2007. We'll pick the 4 entries that Budget Travel's editors think are best, based on writing quality and "informativeness." Then we'll post them on our blog. The person whose entry receives the most comments during that week will be a guest travel blogger on our site for a week, plus win a $500 gift certificate. In the event of a tie, the editors will decide the winner based on which entry, in their judgment, received more positively compelling comments.

For full details and contest rules, click here.

Chicago's liveliest nightspots, newest shops, and best spot for desserts can be found by clicking here.

Hungry for to know this spring's coolest restaurants in Chicago? Click here.

You'll find a list of the best hotel gift shops by clicking here.

For more ideas, check out our sister magazine Girlfriend Getaways.

Keep reading to find two click-and-go. easy weekender trips to Chicago...

Tip 1: Tuck Discreetly. In a perfect world, no one would ever have to be photographed by someone who's shorter than she is--it's a recipe for a double chin. If it's unavoidable, remember to tuck your chin down slightly, but not so far down so that it looks like you're doing a yoga stretch. This will minimize any jowliness and emphasize your sexy eyes instead. See our staff member, Lauren Feuer, illustrating the difference here. You'll find other cool tips and tricks when you check out this slide show.

More than 80 people have entered our Blog-Off Contest, competing for a chance to win $500 and become a guest-blogger. We've picked our four favorite entries, based on writing quality and "informativeness." (See full contest rules here.) The person whose entry receives the most comments during the next week will win. So you can help pick the winner by posting comments now!

Here are our four finalists in no particular order:
A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most elusive beer.--Nick Wusz
An exhausted mother learns how to find spa bargains.--Kyla Kelim
The author offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitor.--"Ourman"
A food-lover's list of the best places for budget travelers to eat in eight cool places.--Roselyn Sugay-Helbling

Nick Wusz goes the extra mile to find one of the world's most elusive beers.

There are seven beers in the world brewed by Trappist Monks, six in Belgium (Achel, Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Westmalle, and Westvleteren) and one in the Netherlands (La Trappe).

Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Achel, Westmalle, and La Trappe (Schaapskooi) are commmercially available, and in Portland, Oregon, can be found very easily at either Wild Oats or our specialty beer shop Belmont Station. This is a tale of my quest for the elusive Trappist beer, one who's mystical legend has grown, and who's elusive flavors are considered to be the best in the world. This is the tale to obtain and quaff the beer of beers, Westvleteren.

Up until last year sometime, I had never heard of Westvleteren. Being a beer geek, I was very familiar of the other, more easily obtained trappist beers, but the "Westy" was only drawn to my attention because of the beer website BeerAdvocate, which put the Westvleteren 12 (the 12 being an abbreviated specific gravity reading, which makes the beer about 10.2%ABV) at its number one spot of best beers in the world. Trappist beers are very special, brewed by monks who put their heart and soul into these fine ales, and many are considered works of art. Certainly, of the beers widely available, they are all considered some of the best in the world. Most of the monasteries have signed distribution deals to get their beers to as wide a market as possible, but not the Westy. You can only obtain their beers (they brew the aforementioned 12, an 8, and a Blond Ale) at the monastery in western Belgium, and on the receipt they state very plainly that these beers are not for sale, and are for personal use only. Because of the beer websites and the rarity of these beers, a furor has been created. There are reports of mile long lines of cars at the monastery, people selling cases of the beers on Ebay for $200 (they cost $50 at the monastery), and many companies trying to distribute the beers. But the monks have stuck to their guns. They only brew enough beer to maintain the monastery and lead their peaceful existence withing it's walls. Their beers have no labels, and are very un-fancy in the packaging, the monks letting their craft speak for itself.

Because of the crazy demand for these beers, the monks have set up a phone reservation system. I was in the area last November, and I figured I would just be able to stop by the monastery and pick up some beers. No way. You have to call the monk hot line, which will tell you when to call back to reserve the beer. Then you call back on the day and time they said on the first message, and reserve the beer by giving your name or car plate number. They will tell you when you can pick up the beers. Then you show up, load up to 3 cases of the beer, and that's it! So its kind of a complicated system, and there is only one beer available at a time, based on the season (the strong 12 in the winter, the 8 in the fall and spring, and the blond during the summer).

My friend Tyson and I had planned a trip to Amsterdam April 1-6, 2007 and I was going to do my DAMNEST to get me some Westys when we are there, even though its a 4 hour drive from the canal-crazed city. So, two weeks prior to our departure, I called the hot line. The message is in dutch and french, but if you know the secret (thanks random internet site!) you can push "3" and the message is in broken english. The message said for reservations for the 12 (yes! that's the one I want! LUCKY.), call between 9am-12 noon on March 26. I was giddy with delight. I read on the net that the monks only have 1 phone line, and the amount of people calling can sometimes make the wait 2 hours to get through. So, on the 26th, 9am Belgium time was midnight our time and I hit the phone right at 12:00. After 1/2 hour of busy signals, I pulled out my cell phone and tried 2 phones at once! Felt like a gangsta mob bookie taking numbers. After another 30 minutes of two phone action, I got a ring!!!!!!! I was shaking, so nervous. Mr. Monk picked up...Me:"do you speak english?"..."yes"..."can I reserve 3 crates of the 12"..."ok, whats your car registration number?"..."well, I will be in a rental car. Can I give you my name? Nick Wusz....W-U-S-Z"...."ok, what day will you come?"..."oh, is April 4 ok?"..."yes. You will be here fourteen fifteen hours."..."so fourteen fifteen? Two fifteen on April 4?"...."yes"...."ok, thank you!"...."bye". That's it. THEY HAVE BEEN RESERVED. Oh, so happy. It was 1am and I was full on awake and felt so much closer to my dream of quaffing this elusive elixir.

Reality = (How the hell do we get these beers back home) + (How the hell do we get out there)? It's weird to think about planning for something 10 days away, 10,000 miles away, so that you can get to a certain destination at 2:15pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

April 4, Amsterdam. I am prepared for this driving adventure, and have been looking forward to this day since we arrived. Taking a break from our Amsterdamming, doin a European road trip, short but sweet. Back home, I had procured the appropriate google maps, reserved the car in Amsterdam, and plotted out a path so that we can visit two other monasteries (La Trappe, and Westmalle) in addition to Westvleteren. It is essential that we are not late (don't want to piss a monk off!), so we got to the car rental place in the Dam's suburbs right when they opened at 8. For some dumb ass reason I didn't bring my passport for the car rental, and we were millimeters from being rejected the rental car, but good ol Tyson came through with his passport and flight information, which the guy wanted for some reason. PHEW. Close one. We drove away with our little Volkswagen Fox.

Driving South from Amsterdam, towards Tilburg, we noticed right away some differences between US driving and European driving.... these people know how to drive! There is a sense of respect and politeness when drivers use the slow lane for driving and the other two lanes for passing only. Very cool. This allows some very fast driving, which is fine, because there will be no one lingering in the fast lane. Our lil Fox is smooth and very easy to drive. Handled well on the small, one lane roads. We loved how on the small roads there was no signage telling you to drive slow, or the road narrows, or you cannot pass here. Felt good to sort out the road with the other drivers. More rules = less freedom.

We arrived at La Trappe monastery in Koeningshoven (Schaapskooi) at 10:30am, just when the shop and cafe opened. As we would learn throughout the day, the monks put these monasteries in beautiful, tranquil areas in the countryside. The castle-like walls of the monastery beckoned to us, but the only areas of the grounds opened to visitors are the cafe and the little monastery shop, selling religious stuff and BEER! We had an early morning quadruple(11%ABV) in the cafe, hit the store for some glassware, beer, and cheese, and spoke to the monk about our quest for Westvleteren. He was impressed.

Travelling south west through the north of Belgium, we passed some amazing countryside and cities that yearned to be explored, but it was not to be this day...we had a mission to complete! We descended upon the area of Poperinge and Ieper, in eastern Belgium, around 1:30pm and quickly realized that our maps sucked hard. Leaving the freeway, and using the written part of the Google map, we managed to wind our way into the countryside, amongst un-planted hop fields, where we started to see signs for the abbey.

...and the village of Westvleteren!

Seriously, if you weren't looking for this place, you would never know you were here. It's so strange (yet appropriate) that the worlds best beer comes from someplace so out of the way, and so beautiful. After a few more turns on some curvy country roads, we arrived at the monastery. 1400 hours. 2pm. Amazing.

The next part happened very quickly. There were around 6 cars waiting in front of a gate that led to a circular driveway, which passed by a small warehouse, where the beer is loaded into your car. Soon after 2pm, the gate was opened by a monk and the cars started filing in. We were overcome with excitement as the monk loaded up each car with cases of the 12 and slowly we moved car by car until it was our turn. I started getting panicky and nervous that maybe my name wasn't on the list. I saw the monk look at our car registration number and not find it on his paper, but he quickly saw my name on there when I told him who I was. Tyson drove the Fox into position, three cases of 12 were loaded into our little car, and we paid (30 euro per case + 10 euro deposit for crate and bottles) and we drove out of the driveway.

Did that actually happen? Oh man, that was short, sweet, and efficient. No BS from the monks...all business. Hard to believe that we actually drove to the mecca of beers and obtained the nectar of the gods, straight from the source. The only bummer of this day was that the cafe was closed. At the cafe, you can buy up to six bottles of each of the beers (at a higher price), have some food, take in the scenery, and drink some Westy's. What the hell! Closed until April 6 for spring break, I guess. Have another reason to go back now!

We pulled the Fox into the parking lot of the cafe and basked in the glory of OUR crates of Westy. Felt like pirates with their loot. Some people who didn't know all the rules with obtaining the beer and just showed up, attempted to buy some of our beers from us. "Sorry" is all we can say. Suckers. haha Using our glasses obtained at La Trappe (I know, not the official Westvleteren glass, but it will do for now), we poured ourselves a Westvleteren 12, right outside the monastery. Can it get any better than this? Lets just say, after al the hype, this beer did not dissapoint. It's flavors reach to the cosmos, with hints of nutmeg, plum and a very subtle alcohol taste(hard to do with a 10.2% beer!). It has a taste of wood and smoke, and a perfect carbonation and the after taste is as good as the first milli second it hits the tongue. Truly an amazing beer, and definitely the best I have ever had. This journey was so worth it. THANK YOU BEER GODS!!!!

We left the monastery behind. You gotta respect these monks...the brew they produce is a piece of art and they let the flavor speak for itself. I sure appreciate their hard work. One last look at beer mecca as we drive away.

Tyson and I headed to Poperinge for some lunch and some of those other Trappist beers, toured some WWI cemeteries and headed back onto the highway as twilight ensued. The area around Ieper and Westvleteren is spectacular....hop fields, farms, estates, greenery--seemed like a great time of year to be out here. The grass was long and wavy and sun was shining. Hard to imagine that 500,000 soldiers from WWI are buried out here. There must have been beautiful days like this during those long battles. Crazy.

Our next destination was the monetary of Westmalle, located near the dutch border, just east of Antwerp. Another beautiful setting, especially amongst the light of twilight...the shadows of the trees and the birds chirping made for a glorious, romantic setting. Tried to hold hands with Tyson, but he wouldn't go for it. Ha! Again, the monastery is closed to the public, but we had some Belgian food (MEAT) and some Westmalle Tripels (also the Trip-Trap, Westmalle dubbel and tripel mixed) at the cafe across the street. Great beers and great food. Three monasteries in one day is quite an achievement, and we were tired. Only four more to visit someday.

We made it back to Amsterdam by 11pm with our precious cargo safely in the back. we couldn't drop the Fox off at the rental place outside of business hours, so we nervously approached Amsterdam central. Luckily, being so late, it was not a big deal at all, and we miraculously found a parking spot right outside our apartment. The task at hand soon became "how are we going to get these beers back to the US!!!?!?!?!" I had borrowed a large, hard Samsonite suitcase from my mom and bought a roll of bubble tape. I fit 48 beers into that suitcase! Tyson fit 24 beers into his roll case, packing all the precious nectar in his dirty underwear. My bag (and his) were super heavy. I could barely lift it, and rolling it was brutal on my back. THIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL MANKIND. Before leaving The Dam, we both bought Westvleteren glasses at the local beer shop to make it all official. So my two check-in bags were crazy packed with beers, souvenirs, knick knacks, and beer glasses. Both very heavy and very fragile. I also had one of the wooden crates as my carry-on, which got some interesting looks. Tyson took a crate as well, and we left one behind. Lets just say I approached the check in counter at Schipol airport with trepidation and nervousness. To my disbelief, the lady at the desk didn't even glance at the digital scale read off, when it said 40kg (88lbs) for my big bag abd 25kg (56lbs) for my other bag. PHEW. Big relief. LUCKY. I had them put Fragile stickers on both of the bags. Let's just hope my bubble wrap holds...would be quite a tragedy if I get back with 2 beers instead of 2 cases.

I put alot of faith in luck with these bags, and hope the Baggage Handling God was on my side. Flew Amsterdam to London to San Francisco. In SF I had to go through customs and I couldn't find anything on their little form that I needed to declare, so I didn't declare anything. I picked up my bags (no leaking!) and headed through the green customs line swiftly and surely...no problem! As soon as I got through, I opened the little case--no moisture. Nice. I opened the big case...oops something has broken or leaked, but not bad. Maybe one bottle, I thought. Forget it...I latched the bags back up and checked them in for my final flight from SF to Portland.

Portland, Oregon. My large bag approached me along the luggage conveyor. Just beyond it, along with a strange, dank, beer-y smell, a puddle. Oh I didn't want to look! Once home, I surveyed the damage. Looks like two bottles broke completely, and around eight leaked about half of their contents. Must have been some heavy pressure(or un-proper bottle cappage) to cause leakage like this. But that leaves 38 bottles of pure liquid heaven safe and secure. Not bad! The only casualty is my moms suitcase, which even after a good scrubbing and air-out, still smells like the best beer in the world.

Now it's four days later, and the beers are storing cool and dry in my basement. This beer gets better with time, so I hope I can be patient enough and disciplined enough to let a few bottles age for at least 2 years. Damn, what an adventure. My Westy tastes so much better knowing what we had to do to obtain and bring back a bunch of bottles. I guess I am officially a beer geek now.

Comment on this piece below!
And then read the writing of the other three finalists:
A young mother learns hunts for spa bargains. An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitors. And a foodie picks her favorite places for budget travelers to eat worldwide.

Exhausted mother Kyla Kelim learns how to find spa bargains.

(Suggested title: "Day-tripping on a budget")

My motto is, "if its free, its for me", but, my mission on this particular Saturday is to find out how well this motto fit in the upscale world of day spas.

The background: I had a particularly stressful week at work, punctuated by a certain amount of whining on my part to my soulmate (ok, alot of whining on my part), who was supportive, compassionate and caring for at least 30 seconds before launching into how stressed out he was. By the end of the week, my shoulders were near my ears. After receiving the news that my relaxing weekend was starting with him working part of Saturday and leaving me in this advanced state of stress with the children alone, I wondered whether my shoulders would soon require surgery, and whether it would hurt and if they would actually let me stay in the hospital for recovery....

Fortunately, dear husband was in fear of losing his tranquility and finished the "have to work" sentence with an offer for me to have a "mini-spa-day" for the rest of Saturday, and imparted me with a modest budget and instruction to make an appointment.

Wow.

I wasn't sure how to start. I was aware that in the civilized world, there are such places as spas, and that they generally come with inviting pictures of peaceful settings and luxury amenities. When I've cautiously clicked on the "services and rates" button in the past, I've suffered sticker shock that sent me reeling and recalled that the price was somewhere around what my current day care bill was -- for a month.
Although skeptical and a bit unused to frivolous spending, my wise husband had obviously recognized that sometimes even moms need a vacation, if only for a few hours and further, sometimes the budget should be bent a bit to take care of the rock of the family. Or, perhaps, he has a purchase of yet more stereo equipment in mind.

Whatever.

To work:

I only had a few hours to plan a trip to a spa, and a budget of $ 100.00. I took to this task like my life depended on it. I ended up booking a wonderful, hour-long massage and got a very trendy haircut to boot, and tipped nicely of course. This did take some negotiating, but I did learn some valuable tips along the way that would have saved me about two-thirds of that in advance. Oh well, at least my shoulders are safe from the knife for the moment...

1. Plan ahead. When you wait until the day you want to go, you have limited choices. Especially if that day is Saturday, the busiest day of the spa week. Many of the spas are booked ahead of time with regular clients, or have not booked enough staff to accommodate walk-ins. On the day I called, I was not able to get the pedicure I really craved as they were completely booked, and most of the other spas that had space for the pedicure did not have a slot for a massage as well. Many did not call me back at all.

2. Opt for a weekday. Most spas will be closed on Mondays as well as Sundays, but booking on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (or Friday nights in some places) will give you an advantage as it is typically a much slower day.

3. Ask about packages. Some spas offer deep discounts with multiple visits or services. If there are no advertised packages, for example, ask if the spa will give a discount if multiple services are purchased in advance. Nearly all will give a good discount, sometimes approaching 50%.

4. Bring a friend...or several. Since we're planning in advance, ask some friends or relatives for some one-on-one time, or spring for a babysitter (see swap sitting below for a real bargain) and take your soulmate. Nearly all of the spas advertise a special for spouses or friends. Many offer free services for you if you bring three friends or more.

5. Swap sitting. While you're bargaining for the bulk discount, see if the spa will issue the discount in connection with gift certificates, and go in with your friends who have children, and offer to swap babysitting services during appointments.

6. Check the net. At the very least, you will find out what services in your area generally cost - critical for bargaining. I ran across a number of unbelievable specials. Some even on a Sunday! Mark your calendars! For example, one specialized New York City spa offered $ 30 for one of several treatments on one day a year. As spas become more plentiful, competition is driving the prices down, and making the packages more attractive. Several trendy boutiques offered a half day of services for less than the money that I paid for my unplanned Saturday treat, and allowed you to take advantage of those services on multiple visits! Which leads me to the next important tip:

7. Be Flexible! As I stated, I believed that life as I know it was about to end because I wasn't able to meet my vision of my perfect day which included a pedicure with my massage. Actually, I did a perfectly fine job on my own toes but not such a good job butchering my hair over the kitchen sink with perhaps the dullest kitchen scissors this side of the Mississippi. Thus, a massage and a trendy haircut didn't just work fine for me, but my benefactor at least appeared to be enthralled with my appearance (although it was probably the glow of picking out that new subwoofer) - a real ego boost and an added bonus that I hadn't even factored in! Shop wisely and you will likely find close to what you want and may find what you settle for is better than what you had envisioned. And lets face it, a day (or half day) at the spa, beats a good day at work any time! That being said, I would not have settled for eyebrow waxing...

8. Do your homework! Don't be afraid to plug all your valuable research into a homemade chart so that you can perform step number 9.

9. Don't be afraid to ask. The asking should sound something like this: "I would really love to come to your spa, and have heard wonderful things about you, and its really much more convenient to where I live, however, I am now booked into ABC spa for next Tuesday, who is offering me a mini-facial, hour long massage, mini-manicure, and pedicure for less than you are charging for the massage and facial. If you think you can match that, I'd prefer to come to you." If you haven't done your research, this approach will not work well. It also helps to say it with a great deal of charm. If you have the time, it helps more to say it in person (away from other customers). Dress well for this appearance. Remember, this is a business, one that wants customers who are potentially repeat customers who will potentially recruit their friends and family to come in. Alot. Which brings me to...

10. Enlist co-conspirators. The staff who is providing the services are working for a fee. Part of that fee comes from what you are paying for the service, as a commission, typically, and part is from your gratuity. Should you show interest in other services, especially from the same provider, you are likely to be able to develop perhaps your best source of discount, the employee, who will know what is possible in terms of discounts at that spa. Display your dilemna prior to treatment, perhaps by inquiring about a parrafin wax treatment prior to a manicure. They will be anxious to please you to increase the amount of tip they are likely to get and may be able to offer the service as a compliment. Develop a rapport and be sure to get -- and keep -- their card. Call and ask to speak with them personally and invite them to direct you to slower days, where they can spend more time with you. This will free up time for additional services - either greatly reduced or free. Remember, they also want you to come back.

11. And finally, for the true bargain hunter. Let me say that I was appalled to spend a cool c-note on myself in one fell swoop, with no regard to the babies-needing-shoes (they always do) or the ever growing grocery list (a killer and far more than the c-note) and on and on.. But I did learn that, had I been able to put the research into it that I now have performed, I could have had close to the same experience for....$31, or less. That's right, less than a third for several hours of good time. First, check in your area for schools of massage therapy. There were two here in Sunny, medium-sized Mobile, Alabama. Two! I found, without much difficulty, that at least one offers student massages at the rate of $ 25.00 per hour. And offers gift certificates for multiple visits! Second, check your local cosmetology schools. Only those close to graduation are staffing the clinics, and these people are learning the latest techniques and styles. And they are supervised. You might want to get there early and watch for a while, if you have that choice. Still, its better than my dull kitchen shears, for sure! Costs will be very low and in some areas, they may offer free styling to give the students the experience. For those who want more done to their hair, this is really a great bargain. I once had to get the red out of my hair, not an easy prospect nor particularly good for your wallet at your average salon. At the school, it took quite a while and involved supervisors, but 4 hours and $ 40.00 later, I had the red out, and a stylish cut, dry and style. It truly can pay to be a bargain shopper!

Well, I'm going to cut cucumbers for the babies and, while I'm at it, sneak a few pieces for my eyes and dream of my next 'mini-spa-day"...but, first, must investigate why stereo sounds much louder. Hmm.

Comment below. And then read what the other contestants submitted: A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most perfect beer. An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitor. And a gourmand offers her list of the best places for budget travelers to eat worldwide.

A 36-year old ex-pat with the pen name "Our Man in Hanoi" offers advice to budget travelers.

The first thing you have to realize is that nothing is what it seems.

No one has sex outside of marriage here apparently. Yet the teenage abortion rate is horrifically high. Everyone seemingly has a mobile phone and a motorbike but the average wage is a dollar a day.

Befriend a local and they will spend their last few cents on a meal for you. They will refuse to take anything towards the cost (and you probably shouldn't offer) and they will be genuinely honored to eat with you. You can make a friend for life in seconds. At the same time, if someone collapses in the street, people will walk by. Or worse, stop to stare but do nothing.

As a foreigner the police will leave you alone. They know you bring money into this country. But that works both ways too. They may not help you when you need them either.

Everywhere is manic with activity yet strangely serene. Eventually your ears will filter out the noise and you'll fall in step with the traffic. You'll wonder why it seemed so scary when you first arrived.

I understand that when you think of Vietnam the chances are your first thought is of the American War (that's what it's called in these parts -- and what else would they call it, if you think about it for a second). By all means go to the museums, the tunnels and the rest if that is your thing. But Vietnam is much much more than that.

Seventy percent of the population were born after the war. And the American war was a blip in amongst centuries of other wars. In my experience Vietnamese tend to look forward rather than back: understand the horrors of that war. Put it in context and move on. Vietnam has.

Don't get too tied down with that communism thing. Vietnam is communist in name only. In terms of the likes of education and health care the capitalist country you left is likely to provide more for its people. As for freedom, well don't expect criticism of the government in the newspapers, but you don't suffer a nanny state here either.

And yes.. the opening up to commerce has helped Vietnam prosper. But don't forget this is on the back of a rare 30 years of peace. I would guess that this is the most significant factor in the upswing.

Don't worry about your personal safety. Or at least don't panic about it. Vietnam is probably the safest place you will visit. But don't be stupid. Hanoi isn't too bad but by all account bag snatching is on the rise in Saigon. Just keep things close to you. Honestly money belts are not needed. Stick you wallet in your pocket, like you do at home.

People will rip you off sometimes. They need the money. But that doesn't mean that people will ALWAYS rip you off. Sometimes the price they say is THE price. There is no need for haggling. Other times you can haggle and haggle to get a couple of cents knocked off. Why bother?

Find out what things cost. Don't accept the rip off price but accept the reasonable price. And while we're at it, westerners don't always pay more than locals (transport aside). That's a myth.

And yes people are poor here. Ignore the TV shops, the motorbikes, the cars etc. It's for a (growing) select few. Most people still live in a one room home and sleep on the floor. Remember that.

Learn a couple of words of Vietnamese. Hello and thank-you will do it. It'll make people smile at the very least. Smiling is important here. Smile when you're haggling, smile when you're arguing, smile when you're asking for your money back. People will appreciate it and actually it's a nicer way to live. If you're being over charged make an "oh my god" face, but do it half smiling. They'll realize they've been sussed but they'll smile back in an "I've been caught?" way and most likely offer you the real price.

Relax...they can smell nervous tourists and it's like a red rag to a bull. At least pretend you know what you're doing without being arrogant.

Learn to enjoy it even when things go wrong. They will go wrong. Vietnam is slapstick and bizarre and that is why so many of us love it. Vietnamese people know their country is bizarre. Get stuck in a traffic jam in a taxi and the driver will turn to you laughing, shrug and say: "Vietnam." As if that is the reason for the madness.

Remember, each cock-up is another experience and another good traveler's tale. Learn to laugh at the problems and live with it.

Oh and they will call you fat. They will ask how much you weigh, how old you are, how much you earn, how much your camera cost. Compared to them you probably are fat -- and answer the questions truthfully -- who cares?

As Michael Caine says in The Quiet American: "They say, whatever you are looking for, you can find here."

It's true. On every level from beautiful beaches to amazing cities. From boiled dog to bangers and mash. From street food to the Sheraton. How much you submerge yourself in Vietnam is up to you. Eat at street stalls if you enjoy the experience but you don't have to. Don't feel guilty if you only eat in top restaurants. Your dollars will still pay for a wage here. Likewise don't think you understand Vietnam and its people just because you've sat on plastic stools and eaten noodle soup.

And there is a seedy underside, and there are drugs, and there is corruption and prostitution. But where doesn't have these?

There is no where else like Vietnam. People who have been here longer than me, have told me that only five years ago it was all bicycles on the road. Now it's mostly motorbikes but more and more cars are starting to appear. Vietnam is changing. And although I wish I had seen it then, now is also fascinating. The change is here but McDonalds and Starbucks haven't arrived yet. Nothing is ruined. Not yet.

You should realize that people either love or hate Vietnam. It is that type of place. But if you at least try to love it then it is more likely to work for you. Come here already smiling and with an open mind and it will be ok. Start to lose your temper over the traffic, the service, the roads or the food and it will only get worse. Nothing works here if you stop smiling.

My final piece of advice is: play the idiot.

Play the big western lump. Catch their eye when they're laughing at you (you are funny) and laugh with them. Pull a face at the kids.

Leave your ego and impatience behind and it'll work out just fine.

Comment on this story below. Then check out what our other finalists wrote: A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most elusive beer. A young mother learns how to find spa bargains. And a food-lover offers her list of the best places for budget travelers to eat in eight cool places.

Roselyn Sugay-Helbling offers a list of the best places for budget travelers to eat worldwide.

Having lived in six different countries over the last ten years, I have had the chance to take my time to explore and the opportunity to find the best bang for the buck in every place.

I've passed on this information to many friends and so, here's my gourmet list of the Best Bang for the Buck for budget travelers:

Paris - Walk along the Seine starting on the Right Bank and cross the river on the Pont des Arts, Paris' prettiest footbridge, toward the Left Bank. Continue towards St. Germain des Pres, buy a crepe for 5 euros at the stand right beside the St. Germain des Pres church. Sit on a bench and enjoy the people watching on Paris' famous cafe intersection where the Deux Magots and the Flore are.

Marbella - Go to the Casco Antiguo (Old Town). Window shop and meander along the cobblestoned streets then stop at the Plaza de Los Naranjos for a "ration" of churros con chocolate.

Montreal - Walk on Boulevard St. Laurent and stop by Schwartz's Deli, a Montreal institution, for a smoked meat sandwich.

Napa - Get a gourmet sandwich or a salad at the Oakville Grocery then have a picnic at one of the many wineries that offer picnic areas as long as you buy their wine.

New York - Go to Gray's Papaya for a hotdog and a fruit shake.

Santiago - Go to Paseo El Manio in Vitacura and have a coffee and croissant at Le Fournil, a French boulangerie loved by locals.

Buenos Aires - Have a cafe cortado and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich at Biela. It's a bit expensive but worth it for the people watching on the Recoleta.

Manila - Wander around Intramuros in the old Spanish walled city then stop at a cafe in the courtyard beside the San Agustin church.

Comment on this story below. And then click over to the read what the other finalists wrote: A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most elusive beer. An exhausted young mother learns how to find spa bargains. An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitor.

More than 80 of our readers have entered the Blog-Off Contest, competing for a chance to win $500 and become a guest-blogger at This Just In. We've picked our four favorite entries, based on writing quality and "informativeness." (See full contest rules here.) The person whose entry receives the most comments during the next week will win.

You can help choose the winner by posting your comments now!

Here are the four finalists in no particular order:
A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most elusive beer.--Nick Wusz
An exhausted mother learns how to find spa bargains.--Kyla Kelim
An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitor.--"Ourman"
A food-lover's list of the best places for budget travelers to eat in eight cool places.--Roselyn Sugay-Helbling

When I last visited Cyprus, the Mediterranean island nation had just become the European Union's newest member, despite a failed, last-ditch attempt to reunify the country. (It's been divided acrimoniously between Greek and Turkish sides for over 30 years). And while I enjoyed exploring the bustling fishing town of Paphos and the hiking trails of the Troodos Mountains, what I really wanted to see was the North, virtually unchanged since 1974 when a Turkish-led occupation resulted in economic sanctions. Unfortunately, what little time I had on the island was spent outside the capital -- which left few opportunities to cross the U.N.-guarded border -- but friends who did cross over reported a world frozen in time: Locals driving cars from the 1960s, outdated architecture, and a crumbling infrastructure. But it's not all bad news. Since the majority of the North's visitors come from Turkey (which is to say there's hardly any tourism at all) much of what's there is a well-kept secret, and a well-preserved one at that. I'm thinking, in particular, about the Roman and Byzantine ruins that have largely been untouched and the finger-like Karpas Peninsula, home to some of the loneliest beaches on the island. The Greek side of Cyprus is wonderful, and should be explored at all costs, but if I had a second chance on the island I sure know where I'd be headed.--David LaHuta

By the way, it's no coincidence that today's Real Deal is a terrific air/hotel package for a week on Cyprus, which averages 340 days of sunshine a year. You can find the details as well as more information about crossing over to the Turkish-controlled area, by clicking here.

Nath Richards, who runs the blog Ubertramp, offers this fun description of that well-known fixture of Central American travel, the Chicken Bus. (See chicken bus photos here.)

For the benefit of those yet to travel by Chicken Bus, allow me to set the scene. These machines start their life as US school buses and, after their North American shelf life has expired, gain a whole new lease of life south of the border. Possibly the ultimate in recycling, these veteran workhorses - which would have been put out to graze long ago - are now loyal servants to umpteen million Latin Americans. It just goes to show that there's still life in the old dogs yet.

After arrival in the land of machetes and banana palms the vehicles undergo a complete face lift. Out with the old and in with the new, the well known yellow exterior soon becomes history when the former ugly duckling finally emerges as a chrome fronted, hand painted, religious billboard on wheels. It's like MTV's 'Pimp My Ride' on LSD-laced steroids.

Excessive chrome, pious stickers, and garish paint schemes are definitely the new yellow and black. And that's just the outside. The interior also undergoes the same radical transformation. Once inside, aesthetics take a back seat among the sacks of rice and beans and functionality now dictates design. Fore and aft spacing between seats remains unchanged, meaning leg space is still barely sufficient for small American children, but on one side the bench seats are replaced with slightly longer versions that now devour half of what used to be the aisle.

As for the rest of the decor, simply throw in two overhead luggage racks to accommodate cardboard boxes containing shopping and the odd armadillo, a TV in a welded cage (usually rendered defunct after the first man-sized pothole), 25 hefty speakers that wouldn't look out of place at a Steppenwolf concert, and a head-shattering air horn powerful enough to strip tooth enamel, and you have yourself one bad-ass Chicken Bus.

But its the guys running the show that really impressed me. Not only the fearless driver, but also his mate - the Chicken Bus Jockey. With the tenacity of an Everest Double Glazing salesman and the physical prowess of a world class 400 meter runner fitted as standard, these chaps are a breed apart. I remember one in particular that had a dangerous habit of squeezing his way down the bus to collect fares, he would then exit the back of the bus when it slowed to an easy rumble, sprint back around as it began to gain pace, and then hurl himself back in through the open door at the front. A routine repeated at least twice hourly. Clearly, this must have proved easier than battling back through a packed bus.

On one occasion, however, the driver sped off a little too early, leaving his amigo behind in a swirling cloud of dust and black fumes. Looking backward through small gaps in the sea of armpits and crotches I could see this maniac, in full sprint with arms flailing, hopelessly trying to close the ever growing distance between him and the bus. The look of sheer desperation on his face reminded me of that scene at the end of the Roger Moore movie The Wild Geese where Richard Harris, while being chased by a lot of rather angry natives, tried in vain to catch up with the plane as it accelerated along the runway. In our case, and in a different and altogether less gory ending, passenger intervention saved the day. One chap eventually piped up to signal the loss, forcing Stan Laurel to reluctantly hit the brakes and pick up a wheezing, and somewhat weary, Senor Hardy.

(This piece has been excerpted. You can see earlier, fuller versions posted in the comments section of this blog post and on the Boots n' All travel forum here.)

By the time we arrived at our riad, it was early evening in Marrakesh and we were starving. We were desperate to drop our bags as quickly as possible and set out in search of dinner, but the riad manager, Omar, had other ideas. He assured us we couldn't leave without first accepting some traditional Moroccan hospitality. "Our custom in Morocco is to offer all guests some refreshment," he said, escorting us up to the riad's expansive roof terrace, "and customary for all guests to accept it."

"Alright," we acquiesced, certainly not keen to start our trip by contravening tradition, "what kind of refreshment do you offer?"

"A glass of whiskey berbere, naturally," he said with a grand gesture, and disappeared.

"Uh, okay," we said exchanging confused looks. Wasn't it awfully risqué to offer alcohol in a Muslim country, particularly with the mosque next door in plain sight? But before we could ponder the mystery further Omar was back, carrying a worn steel tray, two small glasses, and an ornate silver teapot.

Of course, we should have guessed - whiskey berbere is nothing other than the tongue-in-cheek name for mint tea.

Bank of America customers are getting a bit of free culture this month. As part of the company's May Is for Museums on Us promotion, customers can get free admission for themselves and a guest to over 95 museums in 12 states. New York's MoMA, Boston's Museum of Fine Art, and California's Skirball Cultural Center (which was recently mentioned in Budget Travel's Family Travel Handbook are all participating. It's easy to take advantage of this offer, too. Simply present your Bank of America ATM, check, or credit card at your museum's ticket window. Click here for a list of participating museums. With any luck, the flowers blooming outside won't distract you from checking out some of Monet's May flowers (or water lilies).--Lindsey Ramsey

Today we got a sneak peak of Royal Caribbean's new ship, the Liberty of the Seas. It's a beaut! She shares the title for "world's largest passenger ship" with another vessel, Freedom of the Seas.

Some interesting tidbits about the Liberty: The ship sleeps 4,375 guests and measures nearly the length of four football fields. It boasts a FlowRider surf simulator (see video here), a 9-hole miniature golf course, and three swimming pools. (Alas, there's no actual football field, as one cruise critic has dryly noted.)

The Liberty departs Miami on May 19 for her maiden voyage, which is a 7-night cruise, with staterooms starting at about $800 per person (royalcaribbean.com). This Just In will soon post a follow-up item that details what assistant editor David LaHuta saw and heard when he toured this gigantic ship.

The fine print: Your mailing address will be used to send the beer cozy. I promise not to put you on any mailing lists. One request per person, please. Residents of Arizona can't apply because of state regulations about contests.

By the way, Girlfriend Getaways covers a lot of fun topics, such as wine country weekends, sailing schools ("Chicks Ahoy!"), and what's new in Miami. If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you can buy one by clicking here.

Last Friday, I toured Royal Caribbean's new Freedom of the Seas. It was my first time aboard a ship longer than 290 feet. So, like many of the other visitors, I was wide-eyed at its sheer size. A whopping 1,112-feet-long, it's among the world's largest passenger ships, only slightly shorter than the Empire State Building if placed on its side. The ship is mammoth and has the amenities to prove it: Rock-climbing wall, full-sized basketball court, nine-hole miniature golf course, ice-skating rink, boxing ring, FlowRider surf simulator, shopping mall, casino, and a huge arcade that I would've loved as a kid. In short, it's amazing.

But a ship that large is bound to have its downsides, right? There's obviously enough room on board for all 4,375 passengers, but what about when it's time to get off the ship? Talk about waiting in line. And then, of course, there's the ever-present threat of Norovirus, most evident from the signs in the bathrooms that read, "Please wash your hands thoroughly. Use of soap and water will help ensure a safe and healthy vacation." Not to mention the touch-less sanitation systems placed conspicuously near the buffet and other high-traffic areas. But I suppose if everyone washes up and makes an effort to keep the line moving along, the Freedom of the Seas will be a fine place to spend a vacation. The ship is scheduled to make its first public departure on May 19, but until we hear from passengers who've returned from its maiden voyage, here's what I (over)heard from others on Friday:

David LaHuta's Top Ten Things Overheard While Touring the Freedom of the Seas

Imagine if you could leave your cubicle behind and travel the world for a year. That's what Brook Silva-Braga did when he was 25. Along the way, he videotaped parts of his experience, and he subsequently produced a documentary of the trip. He gave Budget Travel this first-person account of his round-the-world adventure. In a couple of weeks from now, he'll be offering DVDs of his documentary at his website, and the show is expected to air on national TV later this summer.

Meet the Pirates. In case you haven't heard, the folks who invented "Survivor" have cooked up a new reality TV series, called "Pirate Master." The show will send 16 modern-day pirates on a high seas adventure to scour the waters of the Eastern Caribbean for 33 days in search of hidden treasure worth a million bucks. The show will be set in, and around, the nation of Dominica, (pronounced Dom-in-eek-a), which is located near Martinique. The series debuts May 31 on CBS. Details here and here.

The Travel Channel has picked its next set of aspiring travel journalists for its 5 Takes reality series. In case you haven't seen past seasons of the series, here's the premise: Five young travelers are outfitted with laptops and video cameras and are sent to a destination with only about $50 a day to spend. These aspiring journalists then offer their perspectives for eight weeks. The new season, focusing on Buenos Aires and other stops in Latin America, premieres June 2, and features aspiring travel journalists like Vinnie Costa. Details here.

Hey, Amazing Race fans! Check out Jaunted's nifty online interactive map for tracking the latest edition of the Amazing Race. Jaunted's crack team has created this mash-up Google map. For an explanation of mashup Google maps, click here.

On my most recent trip to New Zealand, I went on an adventure tour with my sister and a group of American college students. Our two-week tour dropped us in Waitomo, New Zealand, to go "Black Water Rafting." I had no idea what this activity could possibly entail, but I was up for the challenge. First, we practiced abseiling, which is like repelling, or roping down. Then we were off to a small platform from which we abseiled to underground caves. Out of the eight of us, I was number five. I slowly stepped off the platform and was completely supported by a rope and a sling. This was it. I lowered myself toward complete darkness through a tight tunnel, the end of which I could not see. Friends at the bottom cheered when I arrived underground.

Congratulations to Steve Jackson, who has won our Blog-Off Contest through a popular vote of online readers. Steve's winning essay is titled "Dear First-Time Vietnam Visitor." (Read it here.) He had originally published the piece on his blog Our Man in Hanoi, which narrated his experiences as an ex-pat living in Vietnam.

Steve now lives in Nicaragua, where he runs the aptly named blog, Our Man in Granada. We're excited to say that he will be guest-blogging here at This Just In starting the week of May 21. He'll also receive a $500 prize.

We applaud every writer who entered the contest. There were so many good submissions! And thank you to all the readers who took the time to help pick a winner.

Readers have reacted to This Just In's recent blog post about proposed hikes in National Park admission fees. Here are some of your comments:

"I know this site is about budget travel, but you should be pointing out what an incredible bargain the parks are, even with the fee increase, rather than whining about it. The parks are being loved to death and are in severe need of additional funding for maintenance and repair projects. Without an increase in fees, your next whine will be about the poor conditions in the parks."--anonymous reader, Oregonian

"As a big fan of our great parks, I am always concerned about maintenance. It seems like more is always needed so a hike may be justified if properly used.--Richard Reina

"Although more money is needed for the National Parks, they were established for all people regardless of ability to pay and they should have a minimal entry fee but since we already pay dearly through taxes, there should only be very small to no raises."--Earl

Meanwhile, the leading author and expert on the National Parks, Kurt Repanshek, clearly explains "the real cost of visiting a national park" in this blog post at National Parks Traveler. The money quote: "If we don't do something, it seems the Park Service chances pricing vast numbers of Americans out of the national park landscapes and experiences. And that not only will cut down on the ranks of park advocates, but it will surely increase the costs for those few who can afford the price. And where will that leave the parks?"

By the way, you can discuss this issue with Kurt--as well as ask other questions about how to plan a visit to a national park--in a live chat at BudgetTravel.com on Tuesday, May 22. You can submit your questions now by clicking here.

Readers--including a former park ranger--are responding to our recent blog post on whether the National Park Service should increase the entrance fees at parks nationwide. (See our earlier posts here and here.)

Here are some of your comments:

Perhaps a reduced rate should be offered to those with a valid US driver's license. Here in Milwaukee County, there are days when county residents get in free to the county zoo or museum, just by presenting proof of county residence. This way, foreign visitors (who can probably afford it) can pay their fair share.--Christine O'Meally

As a former NPS Ranger of 15 years those who say even with the fee increases the parks are a bargain are missing the point and don't know the whole story. First, did you know that the fees you pay do not necessarily go back into the park you visited? The parks only get a percentage back, the rest goes into the general treasury. So stop thinking that these fees are supporting the parks - most of the fee is not. Second, the parks were set aside for all to enjoy, not just those who can afford it. Finally, if you really think that the parks and the National Park Service are worthy (and all polls suggest the American public does by overwhelming numbers), then urge Congress to stop moving in the direction of a "pay-as-you-go" National Park System and start supporting the parks through the appropriations process, i.e. through the taxes we all pay so ALL may enjoy our National Parks--Fred Doyle

We have a cabin near Yellowstone, and when our kids come up they want us to go with them and take our National Parks pass, otherwise they can't afford to pay to go in the park. The problem is that the National Park Service is trying to maintain too many small, minimally attended, or second tier attractions. If they would concentrate on the important parks, which for the most part are the older parks, and stop siphoning off the money from them to the less important parks, then they would become more self sustaining. Also, many of the parks are closing off extremely large areas to auto travel, making many of the features inaccessible to the handicapped and seasoned citizens and sometimes families with young children. Teddy Roosevelt said that the national parks are supposed to be for the benefit of the people of the country. If those who are less mobile could find more enjoyment in the parks, maybe they would attend more, thus bumping up revenues. The Park Service seems to think that they have to be constantly acquiring property. If they would evaluate honestly what is worth keeping, and then concentrate on making those assets the best they can be, then they will be more successful.--Jean Corey

Like everything else, the parks need maintenance, and as all costs go up, so too does the cost of maintenance. If they are to survive, they must get the needed funds, in increased taxes/fees. I truly think this is a worthwhile increase - much less than taking your family to many other entertainment places (i.e. Disney, etc.) C'mon folks - just think about it!--Clairee

There are no easy answers to what to do about our National Parks. Overall the parks have seen a decrease in visitors. Yet, in some cases on the East Coast we've seen an increase and problems with "overuse" of the National Park System. Out West and Alaska, there are more foreign visitors than citizens. The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting research with how to reach out to the "new" demographics we are witnessing in the USA....because people of African-American and Latino backgrounds traditionally don't use the parks. So because of fewer visitors and appreciation of why the parks were established,there is the concern of even less Federal Budget money to sustain them....

Most people have had the experience of traveling somewhere far from home only to encounter someone from their hometown...or from their past.

Read the "small world" encounter stories of our staff members by clicking here.

And feel free to share your own "small world" encounter by posting a comment below.

Barbie Latza Nadeau has for the past decade been a Rome-based reporter for Newsweek, our partner site, as well as a contributor to BudgetTravel.com. Read her five picks of top ethnic restaurants below.

Surya Mahal This restaurant is upmarket Indian by Roman standards even though the wonderfully friendly owners have been known to lower the heat on the Vindaloo for the locals. A favorite with Rome's Indian diplomats. Via di Ponte Sisto, 67 - Piazza Trilussa, 50; 011-39/06-589-4554

Riccioli Cafe Rome's best (and only) champagne and oyster bar with the oysters flown in fresh from Brittany. Truly trendy near the Pantheon. Piazza delle Coppelle, 10; 011-39/06-6821-0313

Thien Kim Just off the Ponte Sisto, this long-standing Vietnamese restaurant is never disappointing. Via Giulia, 201; 011-39/06-6830-7832

Zen Sushi Never mind the revolving carousel, this is a great place to enjoy Japanese cuisine in Rome. The decor is obnoxious, but the food is great. Via degli Scipioni, 243; 011-39/06-321-3420

Fine International Seafood House (F.I.S.H.) Though seafood in Italy is hardly ethnic food, this restaurant will at least make you feel like you are somewhere else. The menu is decidedly Asian, the sushi bar is the best in Rome. Via dei Serpenti, 16; 011-39/06-4782-4962

You'll find a list of Nadeau's favorite classical Italian restaurants in Florence here.

Girlfriend Getaways magazine has the latest info on what's hot in this amazing city. Details here. And for other ideas about girlfriend getaways, click here.

Americans are visiting Mexico more and more, despite fears that the new passport requirements would hurt tourism south of the border. Tourism revenues were up 14 percent over last year, according to this story in Modern Agent.com.

For ideas from Budget Travel on where to travel in Mexico, click here:
Puerto Vallarta
Oaxaca

And see here for a cool offer on a two-week tour of Mexico.

You can read Steve's winning entry by clicking here. He blogs at OurManInGranada.com.

From Vietnam's KOTO to Nicaragua's CafeChavalos

Some time ago, when I was still living in Vietnam, I was approached by a journalist who was keen to write a feature on KOTO.

KOTO is the Hanoi street kid charity where I volunteered for over two years. It is a humbling place and it's fair to say it broke my heart on an almost daily basis. The idea behind it is simple -- we took kids out of extreme poverty, we housed them, we paid them, we covered their medical expenses.

And by working and training in our own restaurant they learned about the hospitality industry while customers' bills would help cover the charity's costs. Eventually, after 18 months, trainees graduated to a job at the likes of the Hilton or Sheraton. Graduation Day was the blubbiest of blub-fests.

What KOTO achieved was miraculous. Simply put, working there changed my life, just as it changed the lives of 250 young adults it had saved from the streets.

But, anyway, as I was saying, a journalist rang me wanting to do a feature on KOTO.

This week, Steve Jackson is guest-blogging for BudgetTravel.com from Granada, Nicaragua. He works there as a volunteer fundraiser at CafeChavalos.

See Steve's blog post from yesterday by clicking here.

Before Vietnam I had never worked with young people.

My position at KOTO was as fundraiser and, as far as I knew, time spent with the KOTO kids would be minimal.

That wasn't the way it worked out. In all my memories of KOTO, I have kids hanging off me. I could easily throw one of them over my shoulder. Six of them, on occasions, would lift me.

The Vietnamese have a gift for being cheesy without the queasy. They can say, with a straight face, and without embarrassment, the kindest, most complimentary and most heart-warming words.

Being told once, by a formerly desperate street kid, now in KOTO's care, "I am very happy," was enough to make me sneak off and bawl.

Cute is good in Vietnam. Anger is bad. Culturally teenage boys even felt it was normal to try and hold my hand in the streets.

I think young Nicaragua males would rather chop off their arms. Meeting the CafeChavalos kids was a very different ordeal.

At first I put it down to age difference. These big tough macho guys were surely older than their KOTO counterparts. But no, when I checked, they weren't.

As regards volunteers winning a place in their hearts, well, they were clearly more discerning than the Vietnamese.

However, my attitude towards them softened a little when I sat down with Donna Tabor, the project founder and she clued me in on their backgrounds.

As the Chavalos worked, putting together a meal for a tour group, we chatted in the corner. With a head nod or a directed glance she took me through the Chavalos personnel.

It was an eye opener. Drugs was a common link. Starting with glue-sniffing, a huge problem here and moving on to crack cocaine. Gangs also cropped up too. There were fights, serious injuries.

Add to that, absent parents, extreme poverty and a lack of education.

Now I could see why these tattooed teenagers were they way they were.

A few days later I was due to take pictures of them for publicity use. I snapped one shot before they decided photo shoots were embarrassing and they stormed off in differing directions down Granada's cobbled streets. I was left frustrated and angry. Respect, I realized, might be a long time coming.

Two days later, the kid who had been the first to walk out, came to apologize. Through a translator I readily accepted and we shook hands. I learned later that the last volunteer he argued with, he had tried to stab. All things considered, I was doing okay.

I soon realized that the most amazing aspect regarding the Chavalos is their progress to date.

They have moved on from crime and drugs. One is teaching, one is about to apply to University, nearly all have returned to education at some level and all are rebuilding their lives with the lessons they have learnt.

Unlike KOTO, CafeChavalos is not about preparing kids for a career in the hospitality industry -- it is simply about building a team and helping its members to learn ambition, responsibility and create their own goals. It's a formula that has already proved itself.

In two months we will open a new CafeChavalos in the heart of Granada -- the success of the restaurant and its program to-date demands it. That restaurant will continue the fantastic work done to date and help new generations of at-risk youth gain new horizons.

I'm proud to be a part of it. As with KOTO I am here to fundraise. New restaurants aren't cheap but what an investment it can prove to be.

I look forward to watching the future CafeChavalos members develop. I look forward to them, slowly, becoming friends.

Return tomorrow for Steve's next post. See a promotional video clip of CafeChavalos by clicking here. Read Steve's blog at OurManInGranada.com.

Finding the cheapest airfare is a game -- and often, a maddening one at that. Flight prices fluctuate all the time, and the only way to monitor all the ups and downs is with frequent searches. This can obviously lead to shopping fatigue: Who has the time to punch in dates and destinations into a handful of booking engines several times a day?

A few websites have begun doing the searching for you. The best option of all may be a website that came out of beta-testing this morning, Yapta.com, whose entire mission is to handle all of your searches for you. Membership is free. Once you join, plug in your dates and routes, as well as a price threshold. The site will do several price searches per day, and as soon as the flight drops to that specified price, you'll receive an e-mail alert. Members can also download Yapta's software and get messages instantaneously on their desktops.

Yapta not only tracks flights you might want to buy, it tracks flights you've already bought. Why? Because occasionally fares drop so low that airline ticket holders are entitled to a cash refund (minus a change fee of $100 or so). It's rare but does happen. Yapta also tells members when they're entitled to a flight voucher from an airline; it's a little-known rule with some airlines -- Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest, United, and US Airways -- offer vouchers for the full price difference that a ticket-holding passenger can get a flight voucher if a sale is announced and prices drop below the fare the passenger paid.

Getting the airline to cough up cash or a voucher involves some red tape, as you'd expect. But the only chance of getting anything back from the airline is by tracking fares after you've already paid for your flight -- and nobody wants to do that. So Yapta, it seems, will certainly come in handy.

I've been given a sneak preview of the site and have been testing it out. A key thing to note: For Yapta to start working for you, you've got to plug in exact flight numbers and times. The service searches for fares on that specific trip only; it doesn't search fares for an entire date. That may be good (if you're only be happy with that specific flight) or not so good (if you're flexible with times and are only looking for a cheap fare).--Brad Tuttle, Senior editor

The following post is from our guest-blogger, Steve Jackson, who lives in Granada, Nicaragua.

I had my mid-life crisis early.

A decade after leaving college I found myself on the back slump of the turning-30-blues. I was in a good job but didn't want to stay there. At the same time there was nowhere I wanted to work.

I decided to travel. Actually I decided to quit work but traveling seemed the only way of justifying it to myself, my family, and my friends. I would see the world, or at least as much of it as I could afford.

I snorted at the idea of "finding myself." That was for the tie-dye brigade. I was going for the sun, the swimming, and the sleeping till noon.

That is essentially what I did. Like virtually every other budget traveler before me I stayed in dilapidated beach huts and lived off banana pancakes. I observed the unofficial "one task a day" rule that pervades all backpacker haunts.

"What you going to today?"

"Ah,...got to do my washing." (This involves putting it in a bag and handing it to reception.)

Later that day...

"Hey did you manage to get your washing done?"

"Nah, maybe tomorrow."

Traveling did open my eyes though. Not least that I could survive developing countries and their food, weather, traditions, and toilets.

However, like many who do that "get it out of the system" year out, I only succeeded in being bitten by the bug. I never settled back in an office job again.

But what could I do? You can't just travel for ever. This time I couldn't justify it to anyone, least of all, myself.

Flying this holiday weekend? You can check current delays at U.S. airports by clicking here. Flying overseas? Allow extra time if you're visiting the following cities: London, Cancun, Rome, Italy, Paris, and Barcelona. The reason? Airports in those cities will be the busiest this holiday weekend, according to Orbitz.com.

Kudos to Hotels.com for ending its $25 fees to change or cancel bookings. Users of the Web agency can now add nights, swap hotels, or cancel their reservations without being hit with a fee. Be aware, though, that the hotels may still slap on their own fees, which you'll still have to pay.

Take a peek at the future of online mapping here. An ambitious student in Germany has put together a panoramic virtual drive through Berlin. You got to see it to believe it. If the map inspires you to travel to Berlin, then check out the city's unusual Melt Festival, which is a music event that takes place in mid-July in a former East German mine just outside the capital. Details here and here.

Consider taking a fuel-friendly vacation. The Boutique Hotel Collection, a chain of seven California hotels, is offering a three-day, two-night, "Tanks for the Memories" package. For weekend prices starting at $140 a night, it includes accommodations, a $40 gas card or voucher, a disposable camera, and a photo album. Scenic hotel locations include the Inn at Morro Bay, Morro Bay, and the Inn at Oyster Point, San Francisco. It's available through the summer, with dates and rates varying by location. See details here.

Have you ever had that look from a local when you're new in a foreign town?

You know the one. A mixture of weariness and eyes-to-heaven exasperation. You know their unspoken words. The first one is unprintable here. The second one is "tourists!"

What provoked it? Well, maybe you were haggling over a price and, well, perhaps you don't really know what that price should be. You don't really know what the item is worth but thought you'd give it a go.

They do haggle here, right?

Or perhaps you thought that the new ethnic togs you bought from that hillside shack were just the thing. If you want to bargain, then dressing like the locals has got to help, right? So how come they're all laughing at you?

The truth is, perhaps dressing like the shopkeeper's country cousin's Grandma won't earn you that much respect. So what does?

In truth you're never really going to blend in. The sooner you realise that the better. That seems to me one of the first lessons of a long stay in a country. Cut out the clothes that will insult, don't try to be something you're not, and anything in between should be fine.

Much the same rules can be applied to you behaviour. You may not know local customs but as long as you show respect you'll get by.

It's these things you learn when you live and work overseas. Previously I had taken a year off to travel and loved it. But I was just another rich westerner with a backpack. Shamefully I parroted this horrible expression:

"If you pay the man too much then he will come to expect it and you'll ruin it for other backpackers."

Later, when I worked for a charity restaurant, I read customer complaints form querying our very reasonable prices. It stated: "There should be more cheap food on the menu. I should not be expected to pay these prices as I am a backpacker."

Now since when did backpackers become a charity? Trust me, if you can afford a flight halfway around the world, then financially you can look after yourself.

It's an attitude that often pervades budget travelling. An ugly victim mentality, despite being surrounded by real poverty.

Take a little time to live in a country and you start to change you views. When I saw a western girl in hot-pants in Hanoi, I thought, "Ouch." She is not going to have a fun day.

When I saw dreadlocked travellers, arguing to the point of anger, with a shopkeeper to get five cents knocked off the price of their illegally-copied DVD, I cringed.

The following post is from our guest-blogger, Steve Jackson, who won our Blog-Off Contest.

I must admit that if we were still relying on postcards my parents would probably have forgotten I existed by now.

When I first traveled, I was delighted to see Internet cafes everywhere, and I tried to email as often as I could.

I had two email groups. One was virtually everybody I had every met and the other was just family. That email home was also my journal -- it was dutifully printed out and filed by my father.

I think my family was just happy to know I was safe but, as far as friends were concerned, the reactions were mixed. On my return one person told me my email was the highlight of their week -- a treat saved for a quiet coffee break.

Others, I realized, hadn't read a word. I may as well have been telling them I was from the Bank of Nigeria and I had a million dollars just for them. I was spam.

As any experienced traveler will tell you -- your tales are interesting for 15 minutes when you get home. Much the same goes for volunteering.

"How was it?"

"Where did you go again?"

"Were the toilets really horrible?"

"Were there cockroaches?"

"Whose turn is it to get the beers in?"

And that is pretty much it. You may have had the most incredible life changing experience but in the meantime, entirely understandably, your friends have been getting on with their own lives.

So when I volunteered in Hanoi I promised myself no more big emails. Instead my weekly update would be via a blog. At the start it was written for family and friends but I loved it when visitors increased and people left comments.

Unlike friends back home, these new commenters were people who a direct interest in traveling or volunteering or Vietnam. Those were the ones I started to write for.

I'd like to turn that blog into a book one day. I have had a couple of sniffs but no one is yet to bite. For two and a half years everything went in there. The ups and the downs.

As it turned out friends did read it, maybe they'd only check in once every couple of months, but they still wanted to know how my life was going.

Blogging worked out a lot better than those nasty spam-like group messages. They're impersonal and no one likes them. Send personalized messages instead and keep a blog for everyone else to read -- if they want to.

In fact, I reckon everyone traveling, volunteering, or finding themselves in exotic places for whatever the reason, should consider keeping a blog.

I've read that 99 percent of all film pitches are about a "fish out of water." With that in mind, what better fish to write about than you?

Even now I re-read my old Vietnam blog. It has so many memories and there are already little details that I had forgotten. Some stir up old memories.

Some still move me to tears just as the events they documented did.

I hope you enjoy the following links. These are my blogging Top Ten Moments. [These links may inspire you to blog your next trip -- or to seek out the many excellent travel blogs that others write.]

We recently asked readers to share their experiences of traveling somewhere far from home only to encounter someone from their hometown...or from their past. You sent us dozens of great stories. Here are the 10 most surprising ones.

#10 Last year a director from our local theatre asked me to costume her show. I hedged her off and said I needed to think about it. I ignored her emails hoping she would find someone else. A few months later I traveled from Salem, OR to Phoenix, AZ. I was bumbling around Phoenix and stopped to get a burger. As I was walking into the restaurant, there was the director and her son eating their burgers, also on spring break in Phoenix. I took it as a sign of needing to deal with her request, so we talked, I costumed her show and it was a huge success.

Posted by: Lorraine | May 21, 2007

#9 We are Australians now living in Florida. In 1974 we were in a restaurant in Southern England when I heard what I thought was an Australian accent. The man was English, but had lived with Australians in Montreal in the early 1960s. We had lived in an apartment in Montreal in 1958 - the same one he occupied in 1960!!!

Posted by: Jean Roberts | May 21, 2007

#8 I was in Hawaii for an annual tour with the Georgia Air National Guard, and couple of friends and I decided to take a dinner cruise. The seas were a bit rough and many of the people on the boat got seasick, so the dining room was not very crowded. As I went up to the bar to order a drink, I noticed a woman that looked somehow familiar to me. It took a minute, but it finally came to me. She had been my 11th grade English teacher in the Florida high school I went to about 16 years earlier. She had failed me too... She didn't really remember me (which is probably a good thing), but she was happy to know that I had made something of myself.

Posted by: Rick | May 21, 2007

#7 I had been working as a GO at Club Med Martinique for a few months when I was chatting with a couple over dinner. After the standard questions about what it was like to be a GO, I asked them about themselves. They were on their honeymoon and lived in Yorba Linda, Ca. I asked them where and they said "Oh by the lake". My question was "Do you know the house by the fountain with the two Scotch Terriers?". They looked at each other funny and said "Ummm, yes. We take our scottie to play over to play with them!". Turns out they lived right across the street from my parents!It was a little surreal after meeting people from all over the world, to meet my parents closest neighbor...

Posted by: Shawna Esarey | May 22, 2007

#6 I was in Budapest and had just been attempting to use a pay phone to call an arriving friend at our hotel. After dumping more than three euros of change into the phone and getting nowhere, I was frustrated so I gave up and decided to walk back to the hotel. As I was walking I saw a women talking on a cell phone. I looked at her and the ease of her phone with great jealousy. Suddenly I took a closer look and saw that it was Katie Callahan, an old friend from high school who I hadn't seen in almost 20 years! She practically dropped the phone in surprise. I ended up borrowing her phone to call my friend, who had also gone to high school with us and we all went out and caught up at an elegant hotel overlooking the Danube.

It reminds me to always look at people when I am walking around, no matter how far away I am from home!

Posted by: Cordelia Persen | May 21, 2007

#5 When I was eighteen years old and on my first trip to Paris, I was alone and riding the Metro, when a very drunk man sat down next to me and began to put his hands all over me mumbling, and I didn't understand anything that he said (he was from Corsica). I yelled at him and tried pushing him away, but he kept getting closer & closer. The young man in the seat in front of me turned around & told him that I was "his girlfriend and to leave me alone." He motioned for me to come and sit next to him (in English). When the young man looked up at me we both realized that he had been my camp counselor at a YMCA camp in Rhode Island years before. We spent the rest of the ride talking about the good times we had had years before which helped me to forgot about the "incident on the Metro."

Posted by: Zipporah Sandler | May 21, 2007

#4 I was crossing the street in Toronto one evening when the policeman directing traffic gave me a strange look. It took me a second, but as I was crossing I said, "Greg?" and he nodded. Greg and I made friends at a campground in Maryland when we were about 10 to 12 years old. We only knew each other for two days, but I guess we made an impression on each other.

Posted by: Jen Katz | May 18, 2007

And now for the final top three...

The 50-state claim turned out to be false, but the Detroit-native duo still plans to do our northern neighbor proud by visiting roughly a dozen Canadian cities and towns, starting in June. (For a list of tour stops, click here.)

Curious about the delights that could be found along the tour route, I did some research. I found that many of the stops seem worth visiting--even for folks who aren't interested in the White Stripes or their upcoming album, Icky Thump. Here are highlights from a few of the most intriguing places: Edmonton, Alberta; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
--Lindsey Ramsey

EDMONTON, ALBERTA
Date of show: June 30

Visit North America's largest mall: It may not be the most "indie" way to spend time before or after a concert, but you're bound to find something interesting in a mall that has about 800 stores and attractions, including an amusement park, a water park, a deep-sea adventure area complete with performing sea lions, an NHL regulated ice rink, two miniature golf courses, and a seasonal petting zoo. For adults, the mall has two nightclubs, three cinemas, and a casino. 8882 170 St., 800/661-8890, westedmontonmall.com

Check out some handmade goods: For 105 years, downtown Edmonton has had a city market. Every Saturday from May to October, you can wander through the dozens of vendors selling everything from baked goods to bedding. The market relocated to trendy 104th St. in 2004, putting it right in the middle of the revitalization of the area. On 104th St. between Jasper Ave and 103rd Ave, 780/429-5713, city-market.ca

Put some spice in your step at Khazana: Before the show, sample some authentic tandoori at this well-regarded restaurant. Located in the Warehouse District, Khazana offers simple curries and vegetarian dishes. But if you are in the mood to splurge, try the tandoori salmon, which is grilled in a clay oven and marinated in yogurt and spices. 10177 107 St., 780/702-0330, tandoori salmon, $17

Have a "morning-after breakfast" at the Highlevel Diner: For almost 25 years crowds have chosen the Highlevel Diner for a pick-me-up after nighttime festivities. The diner's local artwork and antique wooden tables add to the always-busy atmosphere. Try the classic blueberry buttermilk pancakes or one of several egg dishes, such as huevos rancheros served with refried beans and rice. Afterward, walk off the meal by visiting the nearby bridge that has the unusual feature of a 150-foot-long, man-made waterfall pouring into the North Saskatchewan River. 10912 88 Ave, 780/433-0993, pancakes, $7

As you've no doubt heard, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking to contact travelers who flew on Czech Air flight 104 on May 24, 2007, from Prague to Montreal. The reason: Passengers on that flight may have been exposed to a drug-resistant version of tuberculosis, or TB. (Details here.) The patient was probably not very infectious, says the CDC, but it's erring on the side of caution. The best coverage of the case has been provided by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in this story.

So, we're having an instant reader survey: What would you suggest officials do the next time they know that a traveler is carrying a highly contagious disease?

Feel free to post your comments below or email us at letters@budgettravel.com. Best answers will be forwarded to CDC officials. (And if you're concerned that you or someone you know was on the flight, know that the CDC number for public inquiries is 1-800-CDC-INFO.)

First, a news update: Officials have successfully contacted all of the passengers who sat next to Andrew Speaker, an Atlanta attorney infected with a fatal, difficult to treat form of tuberculosis. Yet the case is taking another bizarre twist. It turns out that the father-in-law of Speaker may have worked for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a tuberculosis expert and may have given Speaker bad advice. This man is now under federal investigation. [AP via USAToday.com]

Eighteen of our readers have spoken out about the world's most dangerous tuberculosis patient. Below are some of the most interesting reader comments. Meanwhile, you'll find the answer to the question "When can the government quarantine its citizens?" by clicking on this article at our partner site, Slate.com.

I think I would rather have sat next to him than some of my seat mates who have been burning up with fever, coughing, sneezing, slobbering and passing on who knows what. I can't count the many times I've been told "I have no business flying I'm so sick" and the like.--Judi Abbott

The passenger should be arrested and charged with attempted murder.--Jumpjet

Murder might be a little over the top; how about Reckless Endangerment? We are sure he committed that crime--Vt Sailor

Hi, I don't think attempted murder is too strong,.... do you remember how AIDS started?
One flight attendant spread it across the world and now it has infected Africa so bad that nearly every small village will end up perishing eventually, Let alone all the suffering in every other country. I found out the guy was an extremely educated guy and therefore there is absolutely no forgiveness.--Jumpjet, again

Anyone surprised the TB patient flying arround...was a LAWYER? Yah, he knew what he was doing when he came in the back door...--Marty

According to NPR, he checked with his doctor first, who told him he was most likely not contagious. We have the flight numbers he was on, maybe we should see if anyone on those flights is actually sick before we over-react.--Natalie

Anyone heard of forgiveness? None of us know what we would have done. Originally he was told he wasn't contagious -how about all the people at the grocery store, movie theatre, place of work where he was since learning of TB in January...he did not intentionally plan to hurt others and especially not his new wife and daughter. Let's see if anyone else actually contracts TB from him and let them decide what they want to do.--Jules

Remember, his dr.'s told him not to travel and he moved his departure date up a few days. He KNEW he ought not to go and he did anyway. then he was told to report to the authorities in Italy and he made the choice to come home through round about methods. He and the idiot at the border ought to be charged with reckless endangerment and imprisoned. He also needs to pay for all TB tests for everyone he contaminated and those THEY contaminated as well as time lost for the tests. He also ought to be very ashamed of himself.--Lamoreaj

Pull passport, seize assets, garnish future earnings, put these monies in a trust to use to cover all the costs incurred by investigation, health contact, and medical needs of exposed people, until the seriousness of the TB exposure is determined.--Geri

This is for NONSENSE! The only way a toddler would be more of e threat is if his/her diaper hasn't been changed for 24 hours or so. You try to make it sound like there was no danger to anyone and that you know what you are talking about. Maybe if you actually read the newspaper stories you would see that there is NO ta;l of reguler TB here. They are talking about a strain that is pretty rare, especially in the US. It wasn't worth the risk he took in taking the trip. He sounds to me like he's a self-centered, spoiled little kid that doesn't care who the heck he can spread his disease to. The proper term is "RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT".
As a lawyer he has to know better than to pull the crap that he did. Holding him criminally and financially responsible is the only way scoff-laws can be made to understand that the US (and the World) won't stand for it any more.
As for the border guard that let him back into the US, losing his job is what he deserves. Ignoring an alert doen't sound too wise to me. Maybe it's a lack of training, although I don't think so. Sounds like someone just wanted to get his time in & go home.--Johnnybfan

Nonsense is right on target. The man did not have active disease before the flight and does not have active disease now. It is only contagious when it is active. The reason for the media hype is that XDR TB (extremely drug resistant) is a new phenomenon and doctors aren't quite sure how to guard against it. As always, good handwashing and covering coughs (in our sleeves if nothing else is handy) are the things to remember.--needleworker

I read the Chicago Tribune's account of his explanation and it sounds like he was not told he was contagious until he got the notice in Europe from the CDC. He says the notice was confusing. But it also sounds like he was afraid of being committed to an Italian institution for the rest of his life and flew out of fear. He obviously knew he was doing something wrong....he evaded U.S. officials by flying into Canada and correctly surmised that he could sneak through our borders. I think a jail term is in order. And what about taking away his passport for the rest of his life.--KFerg

If Midshipman Speaker were in my platoon at Fort Ord, he would be placed on latrine duty and handle the post hospital wastes with the stockade prisoners for the entire term of duty. To not only go on a deferrable trip, but to place family members including an eight-year old girl??? in endangerment, No excuses whatsoever.--Gerald Jung

History buffs and family-vacation planners take note: The new Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail follows the routes of Smith's explorations around the bay and its tributaries. This is the U.S.'s only water-based historic trail; ones on land include the Trail of Tears and the route taken by Lewis and Clark.

The trail is so new that at this point it's not much more than a map. In May, the first in what will be a series of buoys providing historical info was launched--when you come upon a buoy, you can call a toll-free number (877/286-9229), select the buoy's location from a list, and listen to recorded messages about colonial-era history and Smith's observations of the area, or about current climate and tide information. A website, buoybay.org, presents a more-detailed version of the information collected at the buoy.

Somewhat confusing is the fact that there is also Captain John Smith's Trail, which was established by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. This is a set of three loop trails on the James River and the roads along it. Free maps note historically significant points of interest as well as water-access points for boaters.--Tom Berger [Correction: The maps aren't free but cost 25 cents for a set of three (one for each loop).]

Linda Overholt of L.A. is a reader of this blog, and she wants to share with you her experience of flying a discount airline in Japan...

As I'm sure you know, discount airlines in Japan are few and far between, so we were delighted to find Skymark. I'd like to report that our trip in Japan from Haneda to Fukuoka and back on Skymark was just fine. One caveat, however: They have a 15 kg/33 lb. weight limit on checked bags, and they will charge a fee if you are over. We bought a scale and made sure that our bags were under the max, so we had no problems. The tickets for the two of us cost about $430, and the same flights on JAL or ANA were coming up around $1,157--BIG difference!!

Linda adds one other detail--She flew into the main international airport, Narita, and then she had to take a bus to Haneda, Japan's main airport for domestic flights, to catch the Skymark flight to Fukuoka. The bus trip takes about an hour and a half. Other options can be found here.

For more info about discount airlines in other countries, click here. You'll find a list of discount airlines around the world at Attitude Travel.

We thanked Linda for her tip by sending her a pack of Streetwise maps--fold-able, laminated maps that offer cultural and historical detail in any easy-to-read format.

Our friends at Gadling have put together an awe-inspiring round-up of very weird amusement parks worldwide. The Nintendo Amusement Park, Love Land, and BonBon-Land are all included.

In case you missed it, you'll find part one here, and part two here.

Earlier: For tips on how to take better pictures, watch this slide show.

More photo talk: Is it a lame idea to digitize your trip pictures? Sometimes, yes.

Budget Travel Online recently asked Patricia Myers, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based journalist, to highlight a handful of this summer's jazz festivals. Myers--who specializes in writing about travel, food, and the arts for Allaboutjazz.com and other publications--suggested the following picks.

Aug. 24-26, Prescott Jazz Summit, Prescott, Ariz.: This festival runs
Friday through Sunday and features blues, jazz, and swing from national musicians, with a portion of the proceeds going to local music programs. Headliners include Bud Shank, Bob Florence, Carl Saunders, Mike Vax, Scott Whitfield, Margo Reed, Joel Robin, Blaise Lantana, Dwight Kilian, Tony Vacca, Jack Peterson, Bob Lashier, Les Czimber, and Cleve Huff. You'll pay $70 per person for a weekend pass, or $25 for each concert; $100 per person to attend a "Meet Musicians" dinner, plus a Friday-night concert; or $40 per person for a jazz brunch. Learn more at prescottjazz.com.

Look at three past favorites and preview one of this year's installations by watching this slide show.

Corey Bauer, a reader of this blog, recently posted a question:

Another option is a video ipod with a photo adapter. It will let you download the photos directly to your ipod.--Nansi.

Got a dilemma we need help with....our teenage daughter will be leaving soon to be an exchange student to Norway for a year. What's the best way to store so many photos she'll take? Should she take a laptop to download them on? Or quite a few memory sticks or what?!?!

Well, good news: We received a helpful tip from another blog reader, Jim Van Damme:

On a short trip, I've gone to a library and emailed them to my Gmail account. You could also use email or file sharing sites to get them from your daughter, and burn to CD/DVD. You could snail mail them, download the photos, and mail them back. She doesn't need a computer for that.

Meanwhile, a contributing editor of Jaunted.com, Paul Brady, offers this tip:

I'd agree that Flickr's the way to go if a laptop isn't an option. But no one should pay $50 for 256MB of flash memory! You can snag a 2GB card these days for less than $40--just search NewEgg or look for specials at your local big box. (I'm quite happy with this card.)

Vanessa O'Donnell offers this tip:

Another option would be to use shutterfly. Photos can be uploaded in the same manner as Flickr but without the cost and prints can be ordered directly from the site. I've used shutterfly numerous times and frequently receive "coupons" from them for things such as 25 free 4x6 or 1 free 8x10

Meanwhile, Kyle offers this tip:

You can use an iPod to store your photos. You just have to change its settings so that you can use it as a hard drive. (Check your user's manual on how to do this.) Note: You'll need to connect both the camera and the iPod to the computer via their USB ports, then transfer photos from the camera to the iPod. Went to Asia last year and transferred the day's pictures onto my ancient non-video 20g iPod using the hotel's computer. Didn't even have to pay since I wasn't using the Internet! (Repeated the experience this year in a different part of Asia, really expands how many photos you can take.)

Earlier: My two cents' worth, here.

Thanks to all the readers who posted comments!

Some new travel products offer a quick solution to carry-on luggage restrictions. This year, Hefty began selling a flat-pack of 7 Hefty quart-sized OneZip bags, specifically labeled as meeting security guidelines.

But editor Erik Torkells recently tested some great products for carrying liquids, which you may find much more useful.

More: Learn how to pack right. One quick tip: The Feds post their list of prohibited and allowable carry-on items on the T.S.A. website.

Trying to find a good restaurant is difficult enough. If you follow faith-based dietary restrictions, the job is even tougher. The Internet can help. Zabihah.com is sort of an online Zagat guide for Muslims, where anyone can review restaurants that are halal. There are over 5,000 listings on the website, including 3,400 in the U.S. For Jews keeping kosher, Shamash.org lists nearly 2,700 kosher restaurants in 50-plus countries--Omar Sacirbey

Some people will dream up any excuse for a party. Case in point: the Garlic Festival in Gilroy, Calif, which crowns a Miss Gilroy Garlic every year. (Her friends just call her the Garlic Queen, we bet.)

Here's a roundup of many upcoming wacky festivals, as reported by online editor Kate Appleton. In case you find our festival roundup hard to believe, we also whipped up a festival slide show. (Yes, Chandler, Ariz., really does have an Ostrich Festival!)

Check out our roundup of crazy festivals--plus a festival slide show.

Feel free to post your story about the craziest festival you've attended?

I lived in Byron, Illinois, several years ago and attended The Turkey Testicle Festival. The festival is always the 2nd Saturday in October, and the first band starts around 11:00am. and the last band plays until 11:00pm. It is a huge event and just about the entire town gets involved. There is dancing and lot's of drinking and yes, for those wondering you have to get an order of Turkey Testicles as they really do serve them. It was a lot of fun and if you are out that way make sure you don't miss it! (Sorry, No one under 21 will be admitted to the Festival.)--Debbie

The Trenary Outhouse Classic in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the place to be on the last Saturday in February. The crowd of 1,500 to 3,000 watches as two person teams slide elaborately decorated outhouses on skis approximately 200 yards over the snow. Trenary, Michigan.--Jamie D.

Caseville, Michigan (near the tip of the "Thumb"), has the summer's best festival: Cheeseburger in Caseville. The Tropical Parade of Fools on Wednesday is awesome. People are dressed as pirates, Caribbean sunbeams, bikini girls, etc. The row, row, your cardboard boat race in Lake Huron is fun, and there is plenty of beach fun. concerts almost every night, and cheeseburgers for sale on grills up and down Main Street. Always in August.--Sally Stewart

I'm not sure why Michigan seems to be dominating this list, but I have to put in a plug for the Bologna Festival in Yale, Michigan. What's not to love about a town that is literally full of baloney?--Mike Hofert

Last summer I attended the the World Wife-Carrying Championships in Sonkajarvi, Finland. It's a crazy day full of strange and wonderful Finnish traditions. The participants come from all over the world (but mostly Estonia, who completely dominant the competition) to hoist women up on their shoulders in the most hilarious holds in the hopes of winning the honor of first place and....the wife's weight in beer. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend the Mobile Phone Throwing Championships in Savonlinna while I was Finland. Maybe on my next trip!--Anonymous

Readers have reacted to the following list of the ten common mistakes Americans make when traveling abroad.

1. Be patient. Don't try to rush things, if the local rhythm isn't as fast as your own.

2. Greet people properly. Whether it's shaking hands or kissing, ask a local what the customs are--and then follow the customs.

3. Avoid careless judgments. Travelers love to talk about how places are different from home. Unfortunately innocent observations can come across as superior and judgmental, as in: "Your cars are so small here!"

4. Mind your table manners. As for those times when you're served food you can't bear to look at, let alone eat, but you don't want to disrespect your host? Smile and eat as much as you can.

5. Speak the language. Even if you can only stammer out a few phrases.

6. Don't overtip. Your tip might be misinterpreted as flaunting your wealth. Ask a concierge or local acquaintance to explain local expectations.

7. Dress respectfully. Especially in restaurants and houses of worship. Conservative colors--grays, blues, blacks--are generally safe bets. If you're going to a warm climate, avoid the temptation to pack only shorts and sandals.

8. Use clear English. "We Americans clutter our speech with jargon and sports and military terminology," says Roger E. Axtell, author of eight international etiquette guides, including Do's and Taboos Around the World.

9. Be a thoughtful guest. Gifts don't have to be expensive; as always, it's the thought that counts.

10. Watch your gestures. The wrong move with your head, hand, or foot can be a surefire way to get on a local's nerves, or even pick a fight. Do your homework about space relationships, adds Axtell. Latin America and the Middle East have smaller personal 'bubbles,' so you must refrain from stepping away when locals move close.

(List compiled for Budget Travel last fall by freelance writer Erin Richards.)

Here's a sampling of reader responses. Feel free to post your own comment below...

...to do cool tricks as a traveler. Here's a roundup of tips:

Max out your phone. (Try these text-messaging tricks.)

How to Use Your Cell Phone Almost Anywhere. (Don't get ripped off when you're overseas and placing calls.)

Travelers questions about cell phones, answered. (The head of Telestial responds to readers.)

Related: Maximize Your iPod

[A.J. Kinik and Michelle Marek write the wonderful blog, "...an endless banquet"--covering Montreal and its cuisine in an entirely personal and wonderfully insightful way. They'll be guestblogging here this week.]

Welcome to Montreal! Bienvenue a Montreal!

Happy belated St-Jean!* And happy belated Canada Day!**

In conjunction with the release of the July/August issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, which includes our somewhat irreverent roundup of the culinary, commercial, and ludic landscape/s of Montreal, and to kick-off our week of guest-blogging at Budget Travel Online, our cartographic division here at "...an endless banquet" took it upon itself to create a series of ultra-high-tech maps in order to assist you in your journey/s (both virtual and real) across our fair city. Consult these maps online or download them onto your very own personal computer and you'll find virtually every single one of the suggestions contained within our exhaustive "My Montreal is Better Than Yours" field report, plus a few bonus suggestions. They're relatively accurate, and, better yet, they're free, absolutely free.

So, without any further ado:

The cover of our "...an endless banquet" Montreal map:

one large-scale A.E.B. map of central Montreal:

the A.E.B. Map of the Main, the Lower Main, and the Plateau:

and our A.E.B. Map of Mile End, Little Italy, Villeray, and Parc Ex (and Outremont, too):

Thanks for reading,
Anthony & Michelle

*"La St-Jean" is June 24, St. John the Baptist's saint day. It's also the fete nationale of Quebec.
**Canada Day, July 1, is, of course, our national holiday.
Update: This week, Anthony & Michelle also blogged about their favorite restaurants in Montreal and a strawberry social in Quebec.

[A.J. Kinik and Michelle Marek write the wonderful blog, "...an endless banquet", which covers Montreal and its cuisine in an entirely personal and insightful way. This week, they'll be guest-blogging here at This Just In.]

Canada Day weekend got started with what seems likely to become a lasting "...an endless banquet" tradition: the Ormstown Strawberry Social.

We'd been talking about going to one of Quebec's many, many strawberry socials for years now. Home-baked shortcake, fresh Quebec strawberries, whipped cream, a little socializing--what could possibly go wrong? So this year Michelle took the bull by the horns and started doing a little research. That's how she found out the Ormstown Strawberry Social in MacDougall Hall. Though it's situated just 60 km [37 miles] southwest of Montreal along a stretch of the Chateauguay Valley that we know quite well, we'd never been to Ormstown before. Michelle had a good feeling, though. So good, in fact, that she could picture the whole thing: the old Victorian architecture, the well-kept gardens and shade trees and the tidy lawns, the central church, and MacDougall Hall, a stately old town hall sitting next to it. She didn't have an address, but she claimed she didn't need one--she'd just know when we got there. And that's pretty much the way things played out. Ormstown was just as attractive as Michelle had imagined it to be, she knew exactly when to make a turn, and, sure enough, there was stately old MacDougall Hall perched just to the left of the central church. It was early still, it was warm and beautiful out, and we'd brought some sandwiches along for a picnic, so we sat down on the lawn in the sunshine and had our dinner before joining the social.

Things on the inside of MacDougall Hall were more or less just as Michelle had pictured they'd be too. With your tickets in tow--$6 for a large and $3 for a small--you made your way to the eat-in counter (the take-out counter was located in an alcove off to the right of the front entrance). There you exchanged your ticket for your portion of freshly baked shortcake slathered with the ripest, sweetest strawberries imaginable (just stewed to perfection), and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Once you'd gotten your plate, you sat yourself down at a table of your choice and you were immediately greeted by a friendly man bearing cups and a pot of freshly brewed coffee. We thought we were dreaming. Then we tasted the shortcake and we were sure we were dreaming.

People were definitely kind of curious about us--everybody else seemed to know each other--but when some of the organizers found out that we'd come in from Montreal it caused a bit of a stir. "You drove all the way in from Montreal just to come here?" "How was the Mercier [Bridge]?" "D'ya get stuck in traffic?" "Where did you hear about us?" "What? You read about us on the internet?" When the storm had blown over, we went back to our table, finished our strawberry shortcake, and talked about how, at that moment, there was nowhere else we'd rather be. We meant it, too.

Want to check out your very own Montreal-area strawberry social featuring real Quebec strawberries? Try the Hudson Strawberry Social in Hudson, QC, just to the west of Montreal at the mouth of the Ottawa Valley. It takes place next Saturday, July 7 at the St. James Church. Start time is 5:30 PM, and, yes, there will be a dessert auction.

[In an earlier post, Anthony & Michelle shared their helpfully annotated maps of Montreal.]

This week, A.J. Kinik and Michelle Marek are guest-blogging here. They write the wonderful blog, "...an endless banquet."

With the help of our friends here on the editorial board at Budget Travel, we managed to squeeze a whole heap of information into our "My Montreal is Better Than Yours" spread, but even so, the process was not without its casualties. It's tragic, but when all was said and done, we had a number of other hot Montreal tips (all food-related, naturally) that wound up on the cutting room floor. One of the benefits of doing a week of guest-blogging here at Budget Travel Online is that we get to make things "right", and throw a few more names and addresses your way. We were able to notify our cartographic division about some of these changes just before they went to press, so you'll even find some of these on your very own, handy-dandy, relatively accurate AEB Montreal maps.

[This week, the authors of the exhaustive field report "My Montreal Is Better Than Yours", A.J. Kinik and Michelle Marek, are guest-blogging here. See their earlier posts here and here.>"...an endless banquet."]

Montreal is a funny place to be on Canada Day. Those who have to, move, because July 1st is Moving Day here in Montreal, the one day every year where by far and away the most leases exchange hands. Those who can, go to a cottage. And the rest of us are left in the predicament of deciding whether we really want to celebrate our second fete nationale in a week, and, if so, having to contend with what it all means. Luckily, our friend Carlin, who just happens to be one of the chefs at Reservoir [see our earlier post on this and other Montreal restaurants], made our breakfast planning easy on us by deciding to set up a Sunday brunch "restaurant" in her backyard (on her day off!), complete with a menu (!), a kitchen staff, and even some table service.

We felt instantly at home when we arrived. Not only did the mix & match cutlery and tableware resemble our own mix & match collection at our place, but there was something about the whole ensemble--including the chairs, the tables, and the back deck--that brought to mind The Zoo, a wonderfully ramshackle cottage on Lake Muskoka, ON, that we once spent a weekend at. The Zoo was the real deal, a cottage from a time when cottages were still cottages, and its cluttered interior was something of a museum of 1950s and 1960s popular culture. We'd traveled several hundred miles and several years back in time, and we hadn't even left our neighborhood. Amazing.

We took a look at the menu

and placed our orders with our friendly waitress: for her, the breakfast sandwich, for him, the frittata. As the tables started to fill up and business began to pick up, our plates arrived before us.

Frankly, we were pretty impressed: a delicate and flavorful souffled frittata with chevre and cherry tomatoes, with an arugula and shaved fennel salad, and toast; a breakfast sandwich complete with homemade sausage (!) and a homemade bun (!!), and accompanied by a creamy potato salad; minty lemonade with rhubarb schnapps; and all the fresh coffee you could drink. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better Sunday brunch outside of, well, Reservoir, and you'll never find a Sunday brunch with more character. I mean, how many places in town can you think of that are making their own breakfast sausage? How many restaurants of any stripe can you think of that are baking their own hamburger buns? And how many places can you name that are trimming their herbs from their very own garden?

Between her job at Reservoir and her back-alley restauranting, Carlin [pictured below, with pitcher] was a very busy woman last week, but she still took the time to take our "...an endless banquet" Summer 2007 Questionnaire:

Carlin Dunsmore-Farley
Chef
Reservoir

1. Place of birth: Vancouver, B.C.
2. Favorite place to unwind after a long day: The water park between Bernard and Van Horne on St-Urbain.
3. Favorite place in Montreal to people-watch: Cafe Olimpico [124 St-Viateur W., (514) 495-0746].
4. Favorite little-known gem of a restaurant: Niu Kee [1163 Clark, (514) 227-0464].
5. Favorite summer cocktail: Gin, sake, and cucumber. Camilla made it for me. I think she called it a Twizzler or a Swizzler or something [eds.--Apparently, it was a Cucumber Swizzle: 1 oz. Hendrick's gin; 2.5 oz. Shobu-sake; 1/4 oz. lime juice; splash of soda water; 1 cucumber stick; serve over ice in a highball]
6. Favorite ice cream flavor: Ginger.
7. Favorite farmstand find: Peaches, and rhubarb.
8. Mountains or ocean? Ocean.
9. Planes, trains, or automobiles? Automobiles, although my "new" 1990 VW Fox is presently by the side of a highway in the Eastern Townships.
10. Peaches, pears, or plums? Peaches.

[Stay Tuned. Who knows who we'll be giving the AEB Summer 2007 Questionnaire to next...]
Thanks for reading,
Anthony & Michelle

Related: Hey, Ladies! Plan your Girlfriend Getaway to Montreal.

Flight delays have broken an already grim record this year. New figures from the government show that between January and May of this year, about 26 percent of flights were delayed--the highest percentage since the Feds began counting flight delays in 1995.

Update July 6: Flight delays are worse than official statistics say.

The average delay for the first half of June was 61 minutes, comparable to a year ago when it was 54 minutes, says reporting company FlightStats.

Budget Travel recently offered its tips for handling flight delays and cancellations. And readers of this blog responded:

Use the kiosks! After a ground delay at Yellowstone Regional Airport on a recent business trip, I missed a United connection in Denver. The rebooking line at the customer service desk snaked through Terminal B, but no one was using the little do-it-yourself kiosks nearby. Instead of call the 800 number--which was likely overwhelmed by frantic callers--I pulled up my flight info at the kiosk. United had already rebooked me, and I put my name on a standby list for an earlier flight. The whole process took three minutes, leaving me time to work instead of tap my toe while standing in line. Moral of the story? Don't be afraid to use those helpful kiosks! -- PBB

Fly as early as possible! Yes! The kiosks are wonderful! Calling the 800# is also a great time saver! What else? Common sense! If you see your connecting flight pulling into the gate with SMOKE billowing out of the engine - it's NOT a goos sign! I had that happen to me and immediately called my airline to rebook me. Sure enough, I got a connecting flight when the original flight was canceled while many others - who witnessed the same thing - got stranded because they waited until the airline told them there was a 'mechanical' issue and the flight was canceled! Also, in the summer - fly as early in the day as possible - MUCH LESS LIKELY to encounter weather delays due to severe weather! --SRT

Be nice! The counter agent didn't cause the problem or the delay. One of my flights on American was recently canceled, stranding me at the Dallas airport overnight. Although I was not actually eligible for complimentary accommodations, the agent made arrangements for a free room, probably because I was the only person not yelling at her.--Toby

Pay attention and act fast! A recent connection delay on delta was going to cause me to miss another connection later. I went to customer service IMMEDIATELY before the rest of the folks realized what was happening. I was courteous to the rep and asked for her name so that I could commend her in a letter to Delta (which I later did). She got me on another flight and I got home 3 1/2 hours earlier than if I had stayed the course plotted by Delta. The rep was happy and gave me two meal vouchers. Being mean never pays.--Colt

Allow extra time! Five of us were flying last Monday to Gulfport, MS to do Hurricane Katrina relief work. Our Atlanta connection was a nightmare. Even though we had a two hour layover, it didn't help, for our connecting flight was finally cancelled 2+ hours after its departure time. We were told the airline couldn't get us to Gulfport until Wednesday. Bottom line, they flew us into New Orleans late Monday night. The cheapest hotel rooms we could find were $140 each, and we had to get our own transportation from New Orleans to Gulfport on Tuesday morning. Our luggage with our work clothes didn't arrive in Gulfport until Tuesday night. AND I had been on my cell phone with Air Tran, Delta, Hertz, Budget etc for hours trying to arrange a way to get there earlier. Advice: take a carry on with sufficient necessities to last you at least two days. And have a backup plan. If you must be somewhere, go at least a day earlier. Sorry, but that is reality today with flying (I average 40+ flights a year).--Vicki

Americans have named their favorite things to visit. TripAdvisor.com has announced the top 10 destinations of its millions of users.
1. Orlando, Florida
2. Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Hawaii 6-0: Hana Highway, Maui, Hawaii
4. Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
5. Central Park, New York City
6. Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
7. Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York City
8. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay, California
9. Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas, Nevada
10. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

TripAdvisor's Top 10 European Attractions

1. British Airways London Eye, London, United Kingdom
2. Tower of London, London, United Kingdom
3. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
4. Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
5. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
6. Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7. Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
8. State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
9. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen
10. The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Earlier: It's your last chance to vote for the new Seven Wonders of the World.
Related: Read Budget Travel's "Not List" and Cool List.

Here are his answers to the most asked questions about vacations to Italy.

Earlier: Rome fare sale--$536 round-trip, including taxes, from NYC. Seats are still available.
Related: Perhaps the best story Budget Travel has ever run about Rome.

"My Montreal Is Better Than Yours" is an exhaustive foodie's guide written by A.J. Kinik and Michelle Marek, who write the wonderful blog, "...an endless banquet".

Today, they've dropped by BudgetTravel.com to offer a recipe for ice-cream sandwiches (below).

One day last week we popped into our favorite chocolate shop, Les Chocolats de Chloe, to see if we could subject Chloe herself to our "...an endless banquet" Summer 2007 Questionnaire. She was kind enough to take time from her schedule to answer our questions and these were her replies:

Chloe Gervais-Fredette Chocolatiere Les Chocolats de Chloe

1. Place of birth: Montreal.

2. Favorite place to unwind: Reservoir.

3. Favorite place in Montreal to people-watch: From my window at Les Chocolats de Chloe.

4. Favorite little-known gem of a restaurant: Does Reservoir count? [eds.--Well, okay.]

5. Favorite summer cocktail: 2007 is the year of white wine for me.

6. Favorite ice cream flavor: Vanilla Swiss Almond, but, just between the three of us, if you want something really good, try a slice of spice bread, Vanilla Swiss Almond, caramel au beurre sal et vanille fraiche, and a shot of dark rum or bourbon.

7. Favorite farmstand find: Raspberries.

8. Mountains or ocean? Ocean.

9. Planes, trains, or automobiles? Trains.

10. Peaches, pears, or plums? Plums.

Ice-cream Sandwich / Sandwich Chloe

1. Orange Speculoos (adapted from Yann Duytsche's Diversions Sucrees)

1 1/4 cups sugar
one tablespoon less than 1/2 lb butter
zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tbsp milk

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the zest, spices, flour, salt and baking powder, than the egg and milk. Stir until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. Roll out on a floured surface to 2 millimeters thick, cut into desired shapes and chill. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until golden. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

2. Caramel-Bourbon Parfait (adapted from Patrice Demers: Chef Patissier aux Restaurants les Chevres et Le Chou)

2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone
1 cup whipping cream
1 healthy shot bourbon
Chloe's caramel au beurre sale et vanille fraiche, or any other quality caramel sauce of your liking

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and set aside. Beat the egg yolks with 2 Tbsp. of sugar until it is thick and pale. Add the mascarpone and mix until smooth. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and beat to hard peaks. Fold into the yolk mixture. Whip the cream to medium peaks and add the bourbon. Whip to medium-hard and fold into the egg mixture. Pour into the loaf pan, adding the caramel in layers, if using. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

3. Assembly

Unmold the frozen parfait onto a cutting board. Cut into pieces the same size as the cookies. You can use the same cutter. Place parfait between two cookies and freeze, or eat immediately.

They turned out so well, in fact, that Michelle decided she had to deliver one to Chloe herself just as soon as possible. Well, "as soon as possible" was the next day. At first Michelle had herself convinced that she was capable of zooming down to Chloe's at such a pace that not only would the ice cream sandwich manage to survive the journey without melting, but it might just be colder upon arrival than it had been when it emerged from the freezer. Luckily I managed to get her to reconsider. She put our Playmate cooler in the freezer, let it chill for a good 30 minutes or so, then, with all the care and precision of an EMT specialist handling a donated organ, Michelle sandwiched the Sandwich Chloe between a couple of ice packs, gently placed the bundle in the frozen cooler, and raced out to her bike to make her Meals on Wheels delivery.

Needless to say, Chloe was a little surprised by the spectacle of Michelle's arrival--the bike, the cooler, the ice packs, the buried treasure--but she loved her namesake sandwich.
--Anthony & Michelle

[In an earlier post, Anthony & Michelle shared their helpfully annotated maps of Montreal.]

Well, this marks the end of our guest-blogging stint here at Budget Travel Online (and simulcast on "...an endless banquet"). We thought we'd leave you with some more results from of our "...an endless banquet" Summer 2007 Questionnaire, which (as we're sure you've noticed) have been light, and maybe even a bit frivolous, but they're loaded with lots of useful tips for all of you who are contemplating coming to Montreal for a visit.

fig. a: Ethne de Vienne, La Depense, Montreal, QC

Caught Mapping...in Montreal
Anthony and Michelle have created online city maps of Montreal, which point out the locations of gourmet hotspots.

The Montreal You Won't Find in a Guidebook
Here are some of Anthony & Michelle's favorite Montreal eateries, bakeries, and bars.

Strawberry Social
Here's a taste of life in Quebec.

It's Time for Ice Cream Sandwiches!
Try this gourmet recipe and learn the story behind its invention.

Traveler's Tips for Montreal Trips
Anthony & Michelle quiz several Montreal gourmands about their favorite places to eat...and other matters.

More Montreal Goodness
The story of a relaxed July day with food and friends in Montreal.

And be sure to check out their wonderful blog, "...an endless banquet."

Above: Today's "it's-so-sexist-it's-amusing" headline from Italy.

As noted earlier, Italy is very much a foreign country.

[Grazie, Christopher Winner]

Currently, the Smart fortwo is on a 50-city tour, giving all Americans the chance to fall in love. Reservations and a list of the Smart fortwo tour stops can be found at smartusa.com.--Lindsey Ramsey

It's hard enough to get some sleep when you're flying at 35,000 feet, let alone get any work done. Singapore Airlines is trying to make your job a little easier by adding a bunch of cool office tools, including spreadsheet, presentation and word processing, to their "KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system" (read: "seatback TV"). Just plug in your USB flash drive and you can use your flight time to better prepare yourself for whatever work lies ahead.

Unfortunately, these perks look too good to be true. Fliers have to provide their own keyboard and mouse, and what businessperson flies around with that kind of stuff? That's what a laptop is for!

However, the airline is also offering helpful applications like Culture Quest, an application that gives tips on doing business in other cultures.

All these perks are available for all seats on Singapore Air's new Boeing 777-300ER planes, but the airline only uses these planes on selected routes. Visit singaporeair.com for more info.
--Lindsey Ramsey

Anthony Falcone, senior producer at Budget Travel Online, has been to Walt Disney World 13 times. So whenever we have a question about Disney World, we naturally turn to him.

Here's his advice on how to pick the best guidebook for your upcoming Disney World vacation.

Earlier: Disney World news.

Travel has inspired artists' creations for centuries, from the stunning vistas and landscapes of 19th century Realist painters to the spectacular photographs of Walker Evans--to say nothing of the many travel-inspired literary works by writers as diverse as Henry James and Jack Kerouac.

Continuing the tradition, a new show of artworks about life on the road opened last week at the Mixed Greens Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. "Road Trip" runs through August 10 and gallery admission is free, so if you're in the neighborhood why not pay a visit to this show, which explores diverse ideas of travel by a talented group of 13 painters, sculptors, and photographers.

Among our favorites were photographer Amy Stein's enigmatic portraits of stranded motorists.

We also liked artist Kathryn Refi's "Driving Routes," a delicate series of raised-line drawings which trace the path the artist drove everyday for one month. Along the gallery's far wall, don't miss Marie Sauvaitre's documentary project exploring nomadic cultures, from which the artist has produced a series of stunning photographs of Beat generation communes, gypsy trailers, and Bedouin camps in the desert at night.--Laurel Angrist

Thank you, Mary Davis of New Port Richey, Fla, for offering our blog readers the following two travel tips. (As a token of our appreciation, we've sent her a set of Streetwise maps of Italy.)

Rome
We went in April. Rather than stand in a long line to buy individual, same-day tickets, we visited the website of the Vatican Museums instead, which offers tourists the opportunity to purchase tickets to tour the Vatican Museums as part of a group led by one of their tour guides. It saved us from waiting in line and it was an excellent tour. We were fitted with headsets so we could hear every word the tour guide said.

Florence
Before traveling to this city, purchase a Friends of the Uffizi pass online. The cost is 60 euros for individuals, 100 euros for families of up to 4 people and 25 euros for students under 26. It will get you free entrance to the Uffizi Gallery and the State Museums in Florence. Plus, the Pitti Palace (Palatina Gallery e Royal Apartments, Gallery of Modern Art, Costume Gallery, Silver Museum, Porcelain Museum, Boboli Gardens), Accademia Gallery, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, Cenacolo by Sant'Andrea del Sarto (Refectory of the Santo Spirito Church), Medici Villa La Petraia, and Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano. The best part is, you go straight to the entrance and skip the lines.

Readers sent us many emails and blog comments about the Budget Travel article, Are You the Ugly American?

One reader, Harold Flagg, offered us and our readers some tips for being polite while traveling abroad: (Thanks Harold!)

When dealing with the ultra-polite French, always include their title: Thank you, m'sieur (or sir), for example. One more tip: tie a bright cloth on your pick-up bag and it will make the pick-up easier. I once made a hit with an American trying to take possession of her baggage in Paris. All I had to say was: "Pardon, m'sieur, mais madame voudrait avoir sa baggage par la" and pointed at her baggage." I completely forgot that I don't speak French, at least not well. And the baggage attendant forgave my slightly fractured Franglish.

I also liked the way a Buckingham Palace lady-in-waiting thanked me for my book which I mailed to Queen Elizabeth II. The note on palace stationery concluded: "I am commanded by The Queen to thank you and thank you once again." Sort of makes me feel that the age of chivalry and niceness is still alive and kicking.

CNN.com is reporting that European visitors to our country will soon be required to register their travel plans 48 hours before they step on planes to fly here--thanks to a new agreement between the U.S. and the European Union.

You'll find insight into similar security measures affecting non-American travelers in this new, brief essay from editor Erik Torkells.

Pilot Ray Stark has offered his personal explanation at the official Southwest Airlines Blog. He says that pilots have a key decision to make when pulling away from the gate.

It's up to the pilot to listen to reports from air traffic control and judge whether or not they should let passengers board the plane. His personal rule is that if it sounds like air-traffic control won't let the plane take off for another hour, he won't let passengers get on board. But sometimes air traffic control provides a faulty forecast.

This pilot's explanation is helpful, but it's worth noting that even he thinks that an hour long delay on the tarmac is, well, highly undesirable. To put his post in context a couple of weeks ago, a Southwest spokesperson told a group of reporters that the airline opposes any federal rule mandating that planes must take passengers back to the gate if an airplane has sat on the tarmac, even if it's for specifically rare and extreme delays of three hours or more.

Earlier: Four tips for coping with flight delays and cancellations.

A new blog called Less Than a Shoestring recently offered a terrific roundup of free travel-themed podcasts. Podcasts are audio guides that can be downloaded onto computers and MP3 players for free.

In case you missed it,
Budget Travel recently spotlighted four exceptional podcasts on San Francisco, Spain, Kyoto, and London that aren't covered in the above-mentioned roundup. We also recently ran an article spotlighting some free podcasts for museums. (No more paying for audio-guides at museums!)

CNN.com is reporting that Travelocity.com has been fined by the U.S. government for booking trips between our country and Cuba in violation of our government's long-standing embargo.

For context, read Erik Torkells' essay "On Life, Liberty, and the Freedom to Travel."

Related:

Is there any way to legally travel to Cuba?

A writer goes inside Cuba.

Here's a 90-second video of crowds enjoying a ginormous wave pool at Tokyo's Summerland theme park. Have you ever seen anything like it?

Tickets to the park, which includes access to the wave pool, cost $31 per adult in the summer. It's accessible by subway at Haijima station.

Related: Five Ways to Make Dining in Tokyo a Little Less Frustrating

A reader has asked a question of other readers, commenting on a previous blog post titled "Sign up for those flight alerts."

With all of the growing ways of getting flight information (on-site boards, gate marquis, tms, voice mails, the Weather Channel, airline/airport Web sites), I am constantly worried that I am trusting the wrong source for flight status. The airport boards are not correct. I have also been chastised by an agent telling me that I cannot go by the internet status reports. What can I trust? It is just not feasible for everyone to always verify all information with a live human being. It is logistically impossible and it defeats the purpose of all of these other technological (and expensive) means of communicating real-time information. How can we, as the consumer, discern which of these means of info are up-to-date and official? Any ideas? Thanks, April M

Another reader, Colleen, says the answer is simple: Go to the gate. The gate agent will always be the first to know the latest info. Colleen explains why:

It is true that the electronic boards at airports can be misleading, and unfortunately it happens when you need them most--when things begin to go wrong, such as delays and cancellations. The boards are controlled by employees of the airlines, and when they get busy with the extra paperwork of a cancellation or delay, changing the board may not get done. It is always best to talk to an agent.

Here are some other answers:
If you are the person doing the flying, you only have to worry about two things:
1) Getting to the gate on time.
2) Bringing with you a carry-on bag that contains any "must-have" items, such as medicine, in case you face a long delay.

To make sure that your loved one knows your whereabouts, you only have to worry about one thing:
1) If you are delayed by a couple of hours, call your loved one. You probably have more accurate information about your flight status than they do, even if they're looking at an airport terminal board (at your arrival airport) or at an airline website.

Here are some other helpful reader suggestions:

Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine is looking for an Assistant Editor for our New York office.
To apply: Send CV, clips, and a cover letter including salary requirements to btresumes@newsweekbt.com (subject line: assistant editor position).

Elsewhere: You'll find listings for positions at travel websites and guidebook publishers at WrittenRoad.com.

Do you have a funny story about a noisy neighbor at a hotel? Then think about sending your story to AmericInn's "Your Noisy Neighbor" contest.

Submit either a 200-words-or-less story or a one minute-or-less video to the website YourNoisyNeighbor.com. One of the prizes is a $5,000 gift card, which you can spend on anything you like.

Related: Travel Sweeps is a blog that chronicles one woman's quest to win free travel since January 2006. Barbara Benham, a freelance writer, routinely posts info on contests that you, too, can enter.

A month ago, this blog advised you to "Avoid Heathrow," based on a stream of news reports and reader stories about long lines, missed connections, and lost luggage. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) investigated many of the problems at Heathrow. Here are the key points:

1) "British Airways, the world's second-largest airline in international passenger traffic, mishandled 28 bags per 1,000 passengers in the second quarter this year, a rate that is twice as bad as the worst U.S. major airline, US Airways."

2) A government rule to prevent terrorism is partly to blame. "In August 2006, British authorities limited carry-on baggage to one piece -- period. The rest of the world lets travelers take two bags on board planes, usually one suitcase and one personal bag, like a briefcase or purse. That increased the volume of checked baggage on British Airways by about 15%. Added volume strained a system already overtaxed."

3) The airport has faulty equipment. "The Heathrow baggage system physically failed 10 times during May and June, including power failures and breakdowns in a tunnel of conveyor belts that move bags between British Airways buildings, Terminal 1 and Terminal 4."

4) Good news: Things should get better on March 27, when Terminal 5 opens, vastly increasing British Airway's capacity to handle luggage.

Two readers of BudgetTravel.com have shared the following thoughts about Heathrow:

Bostonians have been making their city bigger (and bigger and bigger) for generations. Their favorite method has been to fill in the shallows near their shores.

The change over the centuries has been astonishing. Just watch this five-second Web illustration of Boston's expanding landmass.

(The illustration was designed by Jeff Beam, BudgetTravel.com's Web developer.)

Related: Boston's Secret Hotels.

You'll find free listings for restaurants in Fort Lauderdale at Sunny.org.

More Deals in Florida: Florida Girlfriend Getaway packages

Attention, foodies: Menupages is foodblogging about South Florida restaurants here.

Elsewhere: Now's the time to visit the Florida Keys. Here's the Budget Travel Road Trip through the Keys.

The statistic comes from Eric Floehr. He should know, because his company, ForecastWatch, calculates how accurate forecasts are and sells the data to meteorologists and other companies.

In your hometown, meteorologists may be more or less accurate than the national average, given the stability of your local conditions. You can use ForecastAdvisor.com, a website for consumers instead of companies, to plug in your Zip Code and see how accurate the top weather companies and the National Weather Service are at predicting your local weather.

**According to an e-mail exchange with Eric Floehr, "Obviously there are a lot of caveats to that statement. For example, what exactly does "correctly" mean? But I think that's more detail than your readers really care about."

Photo by Nicholas T. See more of his photos on his Flickr profile page.

Virgin America is offering a fare sale on these routes:

between San Francisco and Los Angeles for $78 round trip, flying between Sept. 13 by Dec. 13;

between Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, for $238, flying between Sept. 26 and Dec. 13;

and between New York and your choice of L.A. or San Francisco for $258, flying between Sept. 13 and Dec. 13.

Book at VirginAmerica.com. Fares must be booked by Sept. 6, 2007. Blackout dates between Nov. 16 through Nov. 26, 2007. Taxes of up to $36 are not included in the above fares.

Related: Is Virgin America the best airline for budget travelers?

The top gripe? Rude airline employees.

Roughly half of the 40 readers cited rudeness by flight attendants and gate agents as something that would cause them never to fly an airline again.

In other words, these travelers would rather pay more to fly another airline than give business to an airline that has treated them rudely. Yes, they may be willing to skimp on other services in exchange for a cheaper fare, but rudeness is intolerable.

This is not a breakthrough revelation, of course. Other more comprehensive and scientific surveys of customer satisfaction have no doubt found the same result. You might think that the airlines would respond to such complaints by setting up systems for 1) collecting data from passengers about any incidents in which they felt they were rudely treated; 2) if there are a lot of complaints about a particular flight, identifying which flight crew or gate agents were serving that flight; 3) rewarding employees who receive favorable comments and insisting on re-training for employees who are criticized by passengers. After all, the airlines track data on everything else. Why not track data on this major customer concern?

A second major issue among our readers is a repeated failure by airline staff to communicate accurate information to passengers when a problem (such as a flight delay) happens.

Misinformation compounded with more misinformation will sometimes make passengers mad enough that they're ready to break some furniture. Consider the following story from a reader:

I refuse to fly Alitalia - It's too bad the national airline of Italy is such a disgrace. My parents were stuck in Milan for 3 days because the flight crew just didn't show up for the Pisa - Milan flight. There was a near-riot in the Milan airport as security was called in to control the crowds. The most angry travelers? The Italians! We saw a man reach across the desk of an Alitalia employee and throw a monitor across the floor.--Laura Beckett

Perhaps the most poignant story from our readers was this one:

Readers have particularly liked the following items recently...

Your personal no-fly list.

The passengers strike back.

A new free tool to track fare sales.

Your favorite tourist traps.

Southwest returns to San Francisco.

Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz?

Who to trust for flight status?

Face-to-face seating on an airplane?!

Trip planning gets easier.

Please stay in touch with what the This Just In blog is up to through our subscription service. For those of you familiar with RSS and News Aggregators, you can follow this blog via its RSS feed. Simply add it to your news aggregator, and a special web page will track every time something is published on the blog. Learn more about RSS and how to use it.

And Northwest Airlines got the worst of it, racking up the most complaints. Thank you to everyone who posted a comment here and here! We're passing the complaints along, and will let you know what we hear from the airlines.

Before we highlight passenger complaints, it's only fair for us to first highlight some comments from people who say they work--or have worked--for the airlines. These have been excerpted for space.

As a former airline employee I have some understanding of the industry. The general public is only concerned with one thing and that is their own needs. ... I don't condone in any respect being rude, but am willing to understand the nexus of such angst of employees. Try waging daily battle to keep your what little you have, get no appreciation for anything you do, work long hours and on a log-in to log-out number of hours worked are making very little wages (does the public know that many flight attendants are eligible for food stamps?) and then tell me you will be all smiles. At least be honest with yourself if you can't be honest with these questions. Walk a mile in their shoes then complain. After all you do GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. This is no different.--James

I am a flight attendant for a major airline. I try to treat customers the way I would want my family treated. I have experienced those rude airline employees as well. The only way to get rid of those people is for costumers to get the name of the employee (even just the first name will help), flight number, date of flight, departure and arrival cities and send a report of the incident to the airlines. The airline magazine should have the address listed inside.--J. Redierk

I am an American Airlines almost 20-year flight attendant and I want to express my deep sadness and shame to our customers. I have helped build this company over the years into the largest U.S. airline and when I see how it is being run by greedy management and treating their employees with disrespect it hurts to look back on all the sacrifices we have made for them. I see the employees take their frustrations out on the customers all the time. --Jill

As a former gate agent, who in general is very good-natured, it is hard not to get defensive when somebody (and sometimes a large group) is yelling at you. Everybody has a breaking point. There were a few bad apples in the bunch, but all in all, my co-workers and I were empathetic will stranded travellers and willing to help. I wish people would realize that you get more help with honey, rather than vinegar (to paraphrase!).--Karla

Please indulge me, as I would like to add a different perspective to this debate: I am a chef on Amtrak, and I travel to Oakland from Chicago on the California Zephyr, a trip that takes parts of three days to complete.... 'Rude' is a definite buzzword in our profession, but it has become a word that has shades of meaning. Let me say, here and now, that there is no acceptable excuse for either side of the aisle to be rude, disrespectful, or unprofessional to the other. Having said that, understand this: Rudeness consists solely of personal, unwarranted affronts to your person, property, or space. It is not: rule enforcement by the worker; cutting off someone who is over-served; a flight attendant telling you that she will have to check your bag because all the overhead bins are full; that same attendant telling you that your child is disturbing the other passengers by screaming (other than from earaches from air pressure) or kicking seats or running in the aisles, so please control the little darling; because you were late for your flight, missed it, and, yes, the next three flights are sold out, and you cannot comprehend how this is possible; and so on and so on.....--Sam

I'm one of the lucky few that work for a small airline that has been voted best in the country by just about every travel magazine for several years now ( I haven't seen our name in this blog yet, knock wood) and one thing I've realized over the years is that he reason we are known for our customer service is because the front-line employees are given the tools and authority to make things right. For example, my family recently flew another airline. My husband and daughter almost missed our cruise in Hawaii, because the flight they were taking was first delayed, then canceled. When they asked if they could be placed in first class on a different, connecting flight they were told that they couldn't. Not because there was not space (there was) but because the gate agents would get in trouble for doing that. The flight went out with empty seats, and my husband and daughter were sent to a flea-bitten motel. In other words, upper management left the gate agent to deal with canceled flights and angry passengers while the tools to satisfy the passengers went unused, by executive order. Most airline employees are afraid of stepping out of line, and thus do not try to think of alternatives to assist the passenger.--Karen

And now, here are excerpts from some of the most memorable reader comments about a variety of airlines.

Last month, I boarded a 13-hour flight from L.A. to Auckland, New Zealand, expecting hassle, discomfort, and general unpleasantness.

But I was in for a surprise because I was flying with Air New Zealand. As I boarded, I was politely greeted (gasp!) by genuinely friendly flight attendants. Once seated, I was offered a choice of beverages that included fine teas, coffees, wines, and much-appreciated water. This service continued throughout the flight like clockwork. As the cabin dimmed for dinner, I, for the first time, consumed an entire airline dinner--a tasty and fresh New Zealand lamb loin, which was a far cry from traditional airline fare, to say the least. The pre-arrival breakfast was equally impressive, including quiches, frittatas, spinach omelets, and French toast.

The leg room in "Pacific Class," like most airlines, could stand improvement, but, all aside, Air New Zealand proved that flying (even on epic trips) can still be painless and (dare I say) enjoyable.--Liz McKenzie.

Related: A Month in New Zealand With No Set Plans

[Photo by Liz McKenzie.]

We received the following email from Judy McFarland of Columbia, Mo.

Please let Kate Appleton know that she missed one Wacky Festival in Missouri, the Testicle Festival. I've attached a billboard picture from the festival, which happens in Olean, Mo.

Duly noted, Judy. We clicked these photos on Flickr to learn more. But you may be heartened to know that Budget Travel mentioned the Testicle Festival in its recent Road Trip: Eastern Kansas. [Update: A reader has reported on a second testicle festival. See comments below.]

You can see Judy's testicle festival photo...

Dozens of our readers say no, while dozens more say yes.

Here's a sampling of reader views:

I live in Michigan, near the Canadian Border and on the Great Lakes. The border includes thousands of miles of open water, with tens of thousand of boats plying it, and thousands of miles of open land where the border is not even marked, or at least not controlled. If terrorists want to come across from Canada to the U.S., or go the other way, they can do it with or without a passport requirement. Requiring passports for a simple trip back and forth across the Canadian Border is a waste of money and resources, and is a needless inconvenience.—David L. Richards

Why should the safety of the American public be at risk just because people are too lazy to get a passports?—Tara

I do believe that the cost of GETTING the passport is much too high.—Janice Manley

Would this have helped protect us on 9/11? No. Would it help keep illegals from entering? No. Is it a hassle? Yes. We're letting the terrorists win when we make our nation more like the ones they come from.—Rich

My father served in WWII. He's never had to prove he was an American. Now, if he wants to go on a cruise, he's got to prove he's an American to leave the country and then again to return. He's 82-years-old. He doesn't need a 10-year passport. I want to take him on a cruise before it's too late. The government wants to charge me a tax (in the form of the cost of a passport) to take him on a cruise. That's not right.—Archie Windham

Archie, this is not the same world it was when your Dad went to war! In case you haven't noticed, the govt has intruded into our lives more and more over the past 50 years! I'm 75, and may not need a 10 year passport, but so what? Who knows, maybe I will, and $100 is quite a lot of money to us, but judging by what most people spend for recreation (i.e. dining out, shows, etc.) these days, it won't be a severe hardship on the majority of people. I know it won't entirely stop illegals from getting into our country, but in the world we live in today, every little bit helps.—Clairee Meeks

Wendy, who says she works for Southwest (and who prefers not to have her last name published), has posted a comment on our blog defending her airline's actions against the passenger whose attire—or lack thereof—has provoked a national debate. Here's what Wendy wrote:

As an airline employee, specifically of the airline involved, I am so tired of hearing about this "poor, picked on girl". First, there are two sides to every story and I don't feel she was completely honest about the way she was wearing that outfit. I heard she had the shirt pulled up and the skirt pulled down exposing her entire midriff and pelvic bones. An airplane is not a nightclub and even though we serve drinks, it is not a bar. Dress appropriately. I am tired of seeing everybody's body parts no matter their size. Second, SWA is a business and is responsible to all passengers including the one that complained about her outfit. As any business they can reserve the right to refuse anyone. I have never seen an employee address a problem with a passenger ON the aircraft. It is always done in the jetway. Perhaps the reason the entire airplane was staring at her wasn't because they overheard her "dressing down" but because she was dressed like that. DUH! Third, have you seen this girl's My Space page? Her heroes are Jenna Jameson (the porn star) and Paris Hilton (who has her own issues with decency). [Editor's note: We cannot verify that this webpage is, in fact, an accurate cached version of Kayla Ebbert's MySpace page--or even if Kayla Ebbert has a MySpace page. For example, the name Kyla on this page is spelled differently from Kayla.] Enough said about that. Please let's move on from this whole blown-out-of-proportion, juvenile, waste-of-time, fame-seeking, and ludicrous ordeal.

You'll find other reader comments on the original post.

We've taken a dozen of the most fascinating stamps, and put them into this slide show. (You'll find the stories behind the stamps here.) Locations include Laos, Turkey, Libya, Sri Lanka, Burma, Nepal, Brazil, Suriname, Mozambique, and Bangladesh. Shown at left is a honorary stamp from Port Lockroy, British Antarctic Territory.

Virgin America says it will be the first airline to offer wireless Internet access for all passengers on all of its planes. This service will debut in 2008—but the fees have not yet been announced.

Earlier: The alpha airline for budget travelers?

Some "tourist traps" are definitely worth a visit, as Budget Travel explored in a story called "Where Locals Fear to Tread."

In a recent blog post, Erik Torkells invited you to share your favorite tourist traps. Check out what some of our readers picked. And if you haven't added your suggestion, feel free to do so below.

Mackinac Island is a total tourist trap and I love it. Renting a bike and riding around the island. Touring the fort and watching the guides shoot the cannon. Taking the horse-and-buggy ride. And, of course, buying fudge.—Carol

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I think most Icelanders go to Reykjavik's public pools (which are great as well), but there is no experience as relaxing as the one you'll have at the Blue Lagoon. Stand under the waterfall, rub silica sand all over your body, relax in the warm waters and enjoy the scenery...sure, you'll be surrounded by other tourists, but you'll be too serene to care.—Rachel

South Seas Resort, Captiva Island, FL is one of my favorite resorts. I haven't visited there since it suffered severe hurricane damage a few years back but I am sure that now that it has been fully restored, I would fall in love with it all over again.—Susan

My favorite tourist trap is Venice, Italy. I never tire of going there.—M. Herrick

Da Yooper Tourist Trap is a wonderful place for Yoopers who do not live in the U.P. (upper Peninsula of Michigan) anymore. It is on the road between Marquette and Micigan. The plate on the front of my car came from there!!—Merie

Every year my husband and I go to Key West for a quick pick-me-up vacation and every year we continue to go to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration. It is such a wonderful tourist trap but the sites are well worth it. The sunsets are always something special to watch, but the fun is in watching the street performers as well as their audiences who both entertain while you wait. We wouldn't miss it!—Patti

Seaport Village in San Diego.—Bianca

The Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole. It is located on Town Square, and the bar stools are saddles. The rest of the bar is decorated with a taxidermy (a grizzly bear and a bobcat are my favorites), old photos featuring famous actors and singers from the 50s and 60s, and other random cowboy memorabilia. But on any given day you are just as likely to meet a tourist as a local having a beer on the saddle next to you.—Lauryn

Can't disagree with you more about the Cliff House. Was there for Labor Day weekend; it was sunny and glorious. We ate at Sutro's at the Cliff House, which is the more high end restaurant. Everything was delicious.—Carol

Wall Drug, South Dakota. It was here I first discovered what a tourist trap really is! Now, it is so camp and nostalgic, it just makes us laugh. Reading the billboards all across the state is still the most interesting thing about the drive to the Black Hills. Oh, and don't forget the prairie dog town!—Corie

The Space Needle in Seattle. You only go there when you have out-of-town guests (of which I am now one), but you enjoy it each time, as do your guests. An unparalleled view of Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula, and Elliott Bay.—Larry

Pigeon Forge Tennessee is absolute fun and enjoyment. Lots of shows: breakfast shows, lunch shows, dinner shows. Great restaurants, nationally known ribs, and wonderful, reasonably priced food at dinners, like Mel?s. Plenty to keep you and your family enjoyably entertained. Don?t miss the Dixieland Stampede show. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and the warm pool with waterfall and the hot tub were a welcome comfort after each day of being a tourist and kids are restricted after 11:00PM so adults can just relax. We were there for a week and plan to return ASAP. We are 60 years old and can truly say it was the most enjoyable vacation we ever had.—Carl

The biggest tourist trap of them all...South of the Border. This stop sits at the border of North and South Carolina on I-95. You can't miss it because Pedro warns you of its coming (from both directions) with bill boards from Florida to NY.—Amanda

You can enter The Great Las Vegas Giveaway for a chance to win round-trip airfare, three nights at the Bellagio, two spa treatments, two Cirque du Soleil tickets, and dinner for two. Click here for details from United Vacations.

RELATED: United and Southwest are offering discounts to Vegas: Air/Hotel, From $159.

Talk of a dress code for airline passengers this week prompted about 45 readers to sound off on our blog post Southwest shames another woman.

SWA and all others should make it clear in their boarding policies before choosing to randomly remove someone they believe inappropriately dressed.—Michelle.

This debate is not about the attire of these people...but that these employees thinking they have the right to since 9/11 too push people around about every little thing...on a flight on swa...I watched as an attendant walked up to an older lady who was a little overweight and without a word held up a belt extender with such a look of derision on her face..never said a word just held it there dangling and embarassed this poor lady. She, of course, didn't need it...that wasn't the point, this attendant just wanted to assert her authority.—Margaret.

Thanks Southwest!!! I will always fly Southwest if they keep this policy.— Carole.

If you don't like what you see, don't look! Why can't people just mind their own business?—Jen.

In response to the fuss, Southwest is offering a sale with "mini-fares." Book by Sept. 24, to fly from $98 to $218 round-trip
with departures on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.

EARLIER: Southwest changes its boarding policy.

The dollar is hitting record lows against the euro and other currencies.

You don't need to spend a mint to have a vacation that leaves you grinning. Just choose a a country where the U.S. dollar goes farther.

Consider visiting Central and Eastern European countries that aren't tied to the euro. Prague, anyone? (Consider this real deal: Croatia Air/Cruise/Hotel, $2,295.) Or, further afield, Montenegro—the focus of a recent Budget Travel cover story.

Check out the budget travel costs of 94 countries. Note that Latin American countries are good values. (Check out this Real Deal in Honduras: Roatan Resort, 7-Nights, $939.)

RELATED: Tim Leffel and his family visited Guatemala this summer and had a blast.

For an explanation of why the dollar is weakening,...

It's not easy being a costumed mascot...

This week, Boston's Logan airport finally gets a cell-phone parking lot—a parking lot where drivers picking up arriving passengers can wait for the passengers to call and tell them when they've landed.

When New York's JFK airport added a cell-phone parking lot this summer, Erik Torkells blogged about the trend: "If your local airport doesn't have one of these lots, you should absolutely email them and ask why not. It means fewer cars clogging up airport roads, and cleaner air to boot. (The self-promoter in me needs to point out that cell-phone parking lots are one of the topics Brad Tuttle and I cover in How to Travel Now.)"

Bob Sehlinger, author of The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas, answers your questions about Sin City tomorrow at 12 ET. Submit your question now.

RELATED: A Girlfriend Getaways trip planner for Las Vegas.

HomeAway has been taking great strides in becoming the go-to source for vacation rentals, having bought VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) last year and having expanded its websites (including HomeAway.com, VacationRentals.com, CyberRentals.com, A1Vacations.com, GreatRentals.com, TripHomes.com), to list between 80,000 to 240,000 properties, depending on how you count. Yesterday, the company announced a guarantee that makes renting a vacation condo less risky.

First, some background: What HomeAway wants to do is be like Craigslist—bringing together buyers and sellers in a way that makes it easier for everyone involved. The company attempts to vet its classified listings, but some fraudsters may get through. So the company has rolled out a new guarantee. If a listing on one of its sites turns out to be fraudulent, the company will offer you a refund of up to $5,000 in rental fees. (Find details on HomeAway's website.)

In another recent improvement, the company has introduced user-reviews to its site, so folks who have rented a house, villa, or apartment can rate the property in several different categories—including how accurate the initial posting was, and how true-to-life the photographs were. We thought it was very clever to make sure that only proven renters can post ratings. Second, the company hopes to soon introduce technology that will facilitate payments—so you can use your credit card, or PayPal, to pay for the rental (versus having to deal directly with the owner, or worse, bank transfers).

Most travelers get nervous at the thought of renting someone else's house; there are just so many variables. What HomeAway appears to be doing is overlaying the trust that any good brand can instill, so that travelers will believe that they're in capable hands. It's an effort that's certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Several readers have posted highly informed and impassioned comments about our previous blog post, Too Disabled To Fly? At issue is the question of whether an airline can—and should—allow a severely disabled passenger on board a plane.

Lisa, one reader, says the law—and common sense—were on the side of US Airways when its flight attendants prevented a severely disabled passenger from boarding a plane.

The ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] does not govern this situation, but the ACAA does. The Air Carrier Access Act, available here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/14cfr382_02.html In section 382.35 Attendants, it is very clear this passenger is wrong. Airlines are allowed to require an attendant in some circumstances, including believing the passenger is unable to assist in their own evacuation. However, if the passenger disagrees with the attendant requirement, the airline can still require an attendant, they just can't charge for the attendant's seat. So what we have here is yet another person suing when they don't know the rules, another attorney who took the case despite a very clear opposing rule, a media who wants to vilify the airlines and me, a fellow passenger who is put at risk by this man's selfishness. GO US Airways and thanks for looking out for the rest of us.

Juanita, a former flight attendant, agrees:

I realize how difficult it can be to get healthy people off the plane in an emergency. It seems that he would be the first to sue the airlines should he not be able to evacuate or had injuries in the process. This country's people must start taking responsibility for themselves and quit with the lawsuits.

Meanwhile, Joseph begs to differ, given his own experience:

This has me at a loss, as it goes against everything I have heard and experienced. I have been a quadriplegic for over 25 years. I have very limited use of my upper extremities and no use of my lower extremities. I could not be of any assistance in evacuating the plane, yet it has never resulted in my being denied flying. In fact, just the opposite is true.
The airlines have all provided personnel who were quite good at transferring me from my wheelchair to a thin chair to carry onto the plane and then into the plane seat, then doing the reverse at my destination. In making reservations, I am assured the bulkhead seat. I am put on the plane first, and I disembark last. I have even, on one occasion, flown with a service dog who stayed at me feet in the cabin. I know of others in similar situations who have had the same experience....

The safety issue that people have mentioned is ludicrous except for, possibly, the flight crew that might need to supply assistance. While people's evacuations might be impeded by many of the 'able bodied' people [e.g, someone with a sprained/broken ankle who hobbles, a person with a bad back, an elderly person, someone panicking in the aisle, the pregnant lady, a young child, an obese person, and innumerable other possibilities, not to mention the new disabilities people might have in the event of a problem with the aircraft], the severely disabled person who can't assist in his own evacuation will be sitting out of the way, strapped in their seat until everyone else is off and assistance can be provided to them.].

And lastly, there's JJones, who "sees both sides of the issue."

My father was a paraplegic for almost 40 years (he died last Dec.). He flew many times during those years, always accompanied by my mother. While he had use of his arms (which were very strong, from pushing his 200 lb. self around in a wheelchair for all those years), I'm not sure how much he would have been able to "assist" in his own evacuation. There were plenty of times when he fell out of his chair, over the years, and my mother had to get a neighbor to help pick him up. One thing I do know is that my family takes responsibility for their own actions... i.e. you don't sue somebody for something YOU should ultimately be responsible for. Perhaps having "questionable" passengers sign a release of liability would solve the problem? I mean, if you are willing to be responsible for your own evacuation, I don't think you should be denied.

Read the full comments and blog post.

Travel is one of those things where if you did it all the time you'd get really good at it. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. (We're stuck in office meetings like most people.) So we thought it would be smart to pool our knowledge. We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. Here is this week's question:

"I'll be visiting friends in Burlington, Vt., in November. What are some fun things to do there? I don't participate in winter sports so that can't be one of them." —Sarah Irick, associate art director

Photo of Burlington, Vt., by Jared Vincent via Flickr and Creative Commons.

We're especially proud of this project, so check it out.

Photo by Tony Law

We've selected one of Rough Guides' picks--a pilgrimage to an ancient, mind-bogglingly ornate temple in Tamil Nadu, India--to whet your appetite. Read the excerpt by clicking here.

Related: A New Generation of Hip Guidebooks and Trips That Can Change Your Life: Immerse Yourself in India.

Stoweflake, Vt., From $509 Per Person for 3 Nights
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a three-night stay at Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa in a package that includes accommodations, a keepsake, daily breakfast, and Thanksgiving dinner. The package represents a 15 percent savings off of the typical rate. Guests who book by Oct. 15, 2007, can receive a fourth-night of accommodations for free by only paying an additional $15 per adult and $10 per child dining plan charge. When November 21 to 25, 2007. Details By availability. Minimum of three night stay required. Taxes and gratuity included; a service charge is additional. Based on double occupancy. Single travelers pay $286 per night. Contact 800/253-2232, stoweflake.com.

Atlantic City, N.J., From $99 Per Night
The Holiday Package at Tropicana Casino & Resort offers a stay at the resort, a $40 shopping credit, and two tickets to the Holiday Extravaganza Show for $99. When Nov. 18 to Dec. 23, 2007, Sundays through Thursdays. Details Taxes of $20.76 not included. The parking is $5.00 for the length of your stay. The credit will be issued as a Tropicana Gift Card which can be used for food and beverage, shopping, spa, and entertainment throughout the complex, except for gaming and The Palm restaurant. Based on double occupancy; no single supplement. Call to book, asking the agent for the Holiday Package. Contact 800/345-8767, Tropicana.net.

For more packages, see our daily Real Deals.

Update: Look at some of the incredible holiday deals that AirfareWatchdog has found.

Here's a sampling of some of our most popular posts recently:

Favorite Airport?!

Stuck on the Tarmac: How Long Is Too Long?

Federal Law on Airplane Movies?

Question of the Week: What to do in Burlington, Vt.?

If you posted a comment, thank you for participating!

Travel is one of those things where if you did it all the time you'd get really good at it. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. (We're stuck in office meetings like most people.) So we thought it would be smart to pool our knowledge. We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. Here is this week's question:

"I'm heading to Bend, Ore.—my first time to the Pacific Northwest—in late October. Any suggestions for places I absolutely shouldn't miss? Hikes, restaurants, little local boutiques?" —Naomi Lindt, assistant editor

You can see answers to last week's question about Burlington, Vt., by reading the comments on this earlier blog post. We're grateful to everyone who submitted answers!

Book your flights using your American Express Card by October 31 for travel by November 14. Read the fine print at JetBlue My Vacation Promotion. Here's one catch, for example: Flights on Fridays and Sundays are excluded.

In related news:
In January, JetBlue will start flying from New York's JFK to two more island destinations: Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. That will bring its total Caribbean service to 11 destinations, including Aruba, Bermuda, Cancun, Nassau, and Aguadilla. Plus, it flies to Ponce and San Juan in Puerto Rico and Santiago and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

EARLIER: Delta vs. JetBlue, written by Erik Torkells.

It's our Question of the Week!

Travel is one of those things where if you did it all the time you'd get really good at it. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we thought it would be smart to pool our knowledge. We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question comes from me, the senior editor of BudgetTravel.com:

"I'm going to Rome on vacation in mid-November. A tip on a good walking tour or wine bar would be appreciated!"

EARLIER: See reader answers to the question "What's there to do in Burlington, Vermont?"

DEALS: New Italy packages from $599.

RELATED: 14 top questions about Italy, answered.

The fabulous photo is by Beachy via Flickr and Creative Commons.

BudgetTravel.com readers can receive discounts of between 10 and 20 percent on Sex and the City and The Sopranos TV set tours in New York City from Viator.com, a site that sells excursions worldwide. And anyone can receive discounts on harbor and walking tours of New York City (see below). Viator offers a money-back guarantee that its prices for these excursions are the lowest available.

Sex and the City tour This tour covers 40 locations featured in the popular TV series, with the inside skinny on the upcoming movie with the same characters. Book by: Dec. 31, 2007. Travel within one year of purchase. There are no blackout dates. Use coupon code NYCSAVER on checkout to receive a price of about $35 (regularly $39).

The Sopranos tour This 40-location tour lasts about 40 hours and gives you a peek into the Bada Bing strip club and other sites. Book by: Dec 31, 2007. Travel within one year of purchase. There are no blackout dates. Use coupon code NYCSAVER on checkout to receive 10 percent off the regular $42 price.

Here's the Fine Print—plus some other tour deals that don't require coupon codes.

Many of you responded to the earlier blog post on how to families of five or more members can find affordable lodging on the road. (See "Motel Confessions.")

Joyce Carlin, a reader who used to work at a hotel chain, offers the following tips

If the front-desk clerk says that their property only allows four persons to a room, offer to rent a roll-a-way cot (usually for a fee of under $20) in exchange for letting your family slip in under the radar.

If the front-desk clerk is a stickler, ask if he or she can offer a manager's discount off the second room. Or ask for some local travel discount coupons, which may amount to the same thing. "This could be a savings of at least $60."

Joyce warns, though, that the above strategies might not work on Friday and Saturday arrivals in peak travel season unless you call ahead and reserve the room and cot. You would leave it until your arrival to announce that you'll have more than four persons in your party. Adds Joyce:

"Friday and Saturday nights during May through October are usually booked up and it is difficult to extend special arrangements UNLESS you book ahead. We front-desk clerks were told by our bosses that we could only accept coupons if we were not 80 percent full. Also: Arrive before 4p.m. and you will have a better chance of using your coupons."

Mo, a parent, offers a pair of tips of her own:

Here's a roundup of Budget Travel's most notable recent pieces on travel and the environment.

Baby Steps to Save the Earth: Easier Than You Thought!

New Yurts Are Nicer to the Environment Than Hotels.

California's First Green Hotel

Four Questions on EcoTourism

Ecolodges Let You Sleep at Night with a Clean Conscience

EARLIER: Fees for Trees? Vote in our poll.

ELSEWHERE: Sheila Beal of GoVisitHawaii.com blogs about many ways to practice water conservation.

Everyone who has ever visited New York City has a different opinion about what is essential about the place. So let's hear it! What do you think captures New York's character or appeal? The best stories we receive will be printed in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

To get your juices flowing, here are a half-dozen of the many good NYC responses we've gotten from other readers so far. They're good because they focus on one place in the city and they give us details. (They've been slightly shortened for space.)

It's time for another Question of the Week!

Travel is one of those things where if you did it all the time you'd get really good at it. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we thought it would be smart to pool our knowledge. We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question comes from Suzanne McElfresh, managing editor of BudgetTravel.com:

"I'm traveling with my husband and our 5-year-old son to Amsterdam for a week in February for my sister-in-law's wedding (her fiancee is Dutch). We're looking for kid-friendly and winter-weather friendly activities, interesting local places to eat, and a good day-trip excursion by metro. (My son loves to ride subways.) I'm also interested in up-and-coming Dutch fashion designers and H&M-type local shops that aren't yet in America."

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about walking tours and wine bars in Rome.

...by a KLM 747 over Maho Bay in St. Maarten.

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises has long been known for a party-hearty philosophy (its first boat was named Hangover). But given the company's recent problems, is the party finally over?

EARLIER: Windjammer hits a rough patch.

RELATED: Windjammer for Beginners

Photo by Digitalfilmphoto via Flickr and Creative Commons

Bull riding at the Navajo Nation Fair on the Navajo Nation.

Photo by Randy Allen, picture editor of The Sacramento Bee, from his fabulous portfolio at fotki.com/randypictures.

Wanna Be a Travel Photographer?
We need readers to shoot not only our cover photo, but photos through the magazine! Show us your skills by posting your best travel images on a photo sharing site such as Flickr or Snapfish, and then send the links to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. You might be one of the several people we plan to send out to photograph stories!

Growing up in Texas, I saw some of the world's most inventive festivals. From the Texas Rose Parade to the much less-enticing Mosquito Festival, my fellow Texans will use any excuse for a party.

Last weekend, I returned to my hometown of Gilmer just in time for the East Texas Yamboree, an annual festival that draws over 100,000 visitors to an otherwise tiny town of 5,000 residents. One of the oldest folk festivals in Texas, the Yamboree began as annual celebration of the county's Great Depression cash crop. The affair, celebrated with a fiery hometown pride, has grown to a three-day carnival and pageant.

The most amusing event of the festival is the Yam-decorating contest. Yams are painted, bedazzled, and festooned by K-12 students to mimic pop-culture icons, animals, and virtually anything else that can be patterned from a yam.

With categories such as yamimals and yam-beings, the contest embraces bad puns. This year's crop included a Superyam (complete with the title "Superyam saves Yamopolis")...

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"My family has a cabin in Mt. Vernon, ME. I've been going since I was a child and always wind up doing the same things—hiking, swimming, and rafting. I'm going in November and wondering what to do that's well-suited to the cooler fall months?" —Lauren Keenan, Associate Photo Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about shopping and kid-friendly activities in Amsterdam.

It's time for another Question of the Week!

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"I'm heading to Vietnam and I've heard there's great shopping to be had, including custom-made dresses, leather jackets and boots. What are some specific boutique recommendations? Are there other Vietnam specialties I should look for? I'll be in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hue." —Laura MacNeil, Associate Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about what to do in Maine during the cooler months.

The Associated Press has concluded that the $97 per passport fee that the State Department has been charging is higher than the cost of processing passports.

Over the past year, as the government issued nearly 14 million new passports, it collected at least $111 million more in fees than its stated costs for processing passports, says the AP.

The State Department may have "profited" from the overcharges, using the extra income to pay for other expenses. This profit, or overcharge, may have been at least $14 per passport.

What do you think about passport costs?

EARLIER About 100 readers sound off about whether Americans should need passports to visit Canada.

Set to debut in 2009, the Beijing Great Wheel (see the computer-generated image above) will reach about 682 feet into the sky. The Ferris wheel will have 48 air conditioned observation capsules, each of which can carry up to 40 passengers, according to a Reuters news report. Prices haven't been set, but officials were suggesting 6 yuan, or about 80 cents, per person.

EARLIER A new cookbook offers a taste of China.

RELATED BudgetTravel.com's Beijing 2008 Olympic Games coverage.

As of October 1, 2007, every citizen flying home to the U.S. needs a passport, even if you're returning from a quickie getaway to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, or the Caribbean.

The rules are different if you're driving across the border (such as from Canada) or sailing a cruise ship. You won't need a passport for those trips—for a while. [UPDATE 1/3/2008: A new rule is expected to go into effect by summer 2009. That rule may require U.S. citizens present a passport or a passport card when crossing the Canadian border and when doing other land/sea border entries. Until then, you won't need a passport.]

Yet today at land and sea entry points, the best way to avoid border hassles is to show an original copy of a citizenship document, such as a birth certificate, and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. Just showing a passport will also do the trick. Citizens may soon be required to show these documents, if new rules go into effect, as expected, on January 31, 2008.

Many of you expressed strong feelings about the State Department overcharging citizens for passports. Many travelers demanded refunds. Others thought that refunds were a wasteful idea. Still others thought the $97 fee is reasonable, given that a passport is valid for a decade.

Read the comments here.

ELSEWHERE ON THE BLOG About 55 readers expressed strong feelings about Erik Torkells' strong stance against the Cuba embargo.

Thanks to everyone who commented.

We're launching a new column for our magazine, Girlfriend Getaways, and we want to hear from you. Are you and your girlfriends celebrating a significant milestone, like reaching a big birthday, getting your kids off to college, launching a more-fulfilling second career, or surviving a divorce?

Tell us about the truly original things you've done—or plan to do—to mark such an occasion (beyond just a getaway). Perhaps it's a themed-based bash you threw or a once-in-a-lifetime dream that you finally indulged in, like renting a castle for the weekend.

The best story will be in the next issue of Girlfriend Getaways. Send a description of your celebration, including the date, the location, the participants, and funny highlights, to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. Throw in a photo or two if you have 'em handy!

RELATED: Looking for some inspiration? Highlights from our recent issue of Girlfriend Getaways include 11 Women-Only Ways to Try Something New and How to Host Your Own Wine Tasting Party.

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"My friends and I will be spending New Year's (Dec. 28-Jan. 2) in New Orleans. For most of us, it'll be our first time in Louisiana. We would like to explore the area while being respectful. Can you recommend any swamp or plantation tours? What are some great local restaurants? Do we need to rent a car the entire time? What are the best day trip options? Any other can't-miss activities?" —Amy Chen, Assistant Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about shopping in Vietnam.

When two Brits, Richard Havers and Chris Tiffney, researched their exposé Airline Confidential: Lifting the Lid on the Airline Industry, they uncovered some hilarious, ghastly, and amazing stories. For example, here's what they learned about the "mile high club."

Mr. Larry Walters, a resident of California, had long harbored a desire to fly. He joined the air force, but sadly his poor eyesight prevented him from training as a pilot. After leaving the armed services he decided one day in 1982 to satisfy his urge to fly like a bird. Lacking the traditional means, such as an aircraft, hang glider or even parachute, he decided to resourcefully use balloon power.

He purchased 45 weather balloons, tethered them to a plastic garden seat and set about filling them, one by one, with helium. He reasoned that eventually he would have sufficient lift to float up to the top of the trees in the garden and admire the view enjoying the wonderful sensation of flying. A cautious man, he tethered the chair to his jeep with a thirty-foot rope and he took with him his air rifle to shoot out some of the balloons when he wanted to go back down. He also thoughtfully took some beer and sandwiches to enjoy on the way. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, at first the adventure was a roaring success. He achieved takeoff and began to climb. Once at his target height, the tree tops, he prepared to descend and looked down. And saw his friends cut the tether rope. He began to climb very fast. Petrified by the height and the danger of death if he got it wrong, he couldn't bring himself to shoot any balloons. So, transfixed by fear, he climbed further. And further. He leveled out at 16,000 feet and began to drift, cold and petrified for 14 hours.

Things began to get really out of hand when the air currents took him into to airspace of the approach to Los Angeles airport. Several pilots reported seeing a man in a garden chair dangling below a cluster of balloons bobbing past them at over twenty thousand feet. Finally Larry summoned up the courage to start shooting balloons and effected a fairly controlled descent, until the dangling balloons caught on a power line, blacking out the Long Beach area for 20 minutes.

Unharmed by the current, Larry managed to climb down the pylon to safety and into the arms of the waiting police. As he was led away Larry commented to a reporter "A man can't just sit around." The authorities were not amused. Federal Aviation Administration Safety Inspector Neal Savoy commented "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we know which part it is, a charge will be filed."

For more details on Larry Walters' story, see Snopes.com.

You can read more funny tales like this in both Airline Confidential, its upcoming sequel, and the Airline Confidential blog, written by Richard Havers and Chris Tiffney. The authors say that the Larry Walters story is the most amazing air travel story they've ever heard.

As we're fond of saying, If God had meant man to fly then he'd have given us tickets.

EARLIER ON THE BLOG The Mile-High Club: Fact or Fiction?

Virgin Atlantic is making it easier for passengers to donate money to climate-friendly projects, such as tree-planting. Virgin's website has a carbon offsets page, to help calculate the correct donation to make based on one's amount of air travel. And during flights, passengers are encouraged to buy carbon offsets.

Budget Travel has been following this industry-wide trend, reporting on SilverJet's program, Delta's new program, and the efforts of other airlines. (See our story, "On Flier's Remorse.")

Are environmentalists unfairly targeting airlines?

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"My husband and I are planning a trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York and would like to know which wineries to visit." —Amy Helin, Creative Director

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about what to do on a first-time visit to New Orleans.

We're all going to be stressed out while traveling on the holidays. And we could all use a reminder that maybe, if we look around us, someone is having an even more difficult time--and we could help them out.

One of our readers, Diane Smith, has shared this neat story:

I was flying out from a Killeen, Texas, airport on a Continental bug smasher. Something was wrong with the plane that was to take us to Dallas. It was about an hour and a half late. Now Killeen is mostly a military town, home to Fort Hood. As I sat there, I started up a conversation with a young lady who was holding her six month baby. Since her husband had been shipped off to Iraq, she was going to go to Florida to see her Dad. Since we got in very late, I was lucky to get another flight to Vegas (where I live). At the time I was talking to the gate people to get on my next flight. The airline employee at the counter (with an attitude I might add) told this girl that she would miss her flight to Florida. She could wait and take a flight out in the morning. End of that conversation. The look of despair on this girls face was unbelievable. We have all been there. Alone, holding a baby, bags, bottles, diapers...and lucky her, having to wait for 12 hours at the airport!

If only I had a cape, you'd have thought that Wonder Women had arrived (can we hear the tune?). I demanded of the girl at the counter, what was going on. The airline owed this girl a room and food. She argued with me until I reminded her the delay was the AIRLINES FAULT! The girl behind the counter with the "tude" finally took care of this poor girl. If I hadn't known better, she and her child would have spent a miserable night at the airport.

Now, Diane did a great thing. It's important to point out that Continental's ticket rules (called the contract of carriage, and downloadable here) don't guarantee this solution. It was because Diane stepped up to the challenge--and because a Continental crew member was flexible--that this story has a happy ending.

Safe travels!

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"I'll be in Denver for three days in January. Where should I go for my morning coffee? Low-key lunches? Nice dinners? Which neighborhoods should I explore? Anything else I shouldn't miss?" —Beth Collins, Associate Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about which wineries to visit in the Finger Lakes, N.Y.

Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and Seabourn are charging fuel surcharges of $5 a day to the first two passengers in each stateroom for sailings that depart on or after Feb. 1, 2008. The fee is being slapped on bookings that have already been made, and will be added to future bookings.

Other cruise lines will soon add fuel charges to bookings. Here's a bunch of them, courtesy of online booking agency Vacations to Go:

Cruise West, $12 a person, each day.
Crystal, $7 a person, each day.
Oceania Cruises, $7 a person, each day.
Regent Seven Seas, $7.50 a person, each day.
Majestic America, $8.50 a person, each day.
MSC Cruises, $6 each day, for each of the first two passengers in each cabin.
Norwegian and Orient Lines, $7 a person, each day, for the first and second passengers in a stateroom.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara: $5 a person, each day, for the first two passengers in each stateroom.
Silversea, $10 a person, each day.
Viking River Cruises, $7 a person, each day.
Voyages of Discovery, $10 a person, each day.
Windstar, $8.50 a person, each day.

EARLIER Adding fees after you've paid?

Many readers commented on Erik Torkells' blog post "Adding fees after you've already paid?!" Erik wrote that while it was bad enough that many cruise lines are adding fuel surcharges in the coming months, it was "borderline outrageous" for Carnival, Costa, Holland America, Cunard, Princess, and Seabourn to also add a surcharge to passengers who had paid in full months ago.

Most readers agreed. Here are snippets from some of the most insightful comments:

This Just In has been tracking the spread of bike-sharing programs. Here's the latest new program: In early 2008, Turin, Italy, will place about 1,300 bicycles at about 390 stations citywide.

EARLIERBike sharing in Spain, Paris, and elsewhere in Europe.

RELATED Turin's official tourism website, TurismoTorino.org, has a database of hotels, B&Bs, and hostels and it allows you to search by price (from as low as —$59), neighborhood, and style of accommodation.

It's time for another Question of the Week:

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"I'm desperate for a warm-weather vacation this winter—ideally at a beach—but I want to go someplace where I won't get eaten alive by mosquitoes. (I'm the kind of person mosquitoes love, and the bites last for a week.) Anyone have any recommendations?" —Erik Torkells, Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about what to do in Denver, Colo., in January

A record 952,500 Americans visited Ireland in the first 10 months of this year. This is remarkable, given that the dollar has weakest buying power there in decades. The government credits its marketing campaign.

A surprisingly great way to see the country is by camper van. See Budget Travel's September story.

In answer to our weekly questions, you've shared your knowledge on travel destinations near and far—from the Caribbean to New Orleans.

Now tell us: What's your travel resolution for 2008? Is it a new adventure, a return to a favorite place, an urban exploration, or a journey to a remote destination? Share your thoughts by posting a comment.

A new website, BestTripChoices.com, claims it can profile your "travel personality" based on a short questionnaire. I recently gave the site a whirl.

I answered a 15-question quiz, and the website concluded I was a "centric venturer," one of six personality profiles. Other personalities include "authentics," who tend to opt for familiar and well-established tourist destinations, and "venturers," who enjoy spontaneous, adventuresome trips to unique or barely charted locales. Most travelers fall somewhere in the middle, leaning slightly toward one extreme.

It's time for another Question of the Week:

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"I'm going to Knoxville for a long weekend and I've never been before, so I need advice on everything. Where should I eat? What should I do? Any great museums or galleries I should see? Most of the hotels I've come across online seem business-y, but I'm hoping to find something small and charming. Any ideas?" —Liz Ozaist, Senior Editor

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about mosquito-free Caribbean getaways

Under new rules that take effect in March, JFK will only be allowed 82 or 83 flights per hour at peak times, down significantly from the 90 to 100 that had been scheduled this past summer. Similar caps will go into effect at Newark, but the exact number has yet to be determined. LaGuardia already has limits on flights.—via this Associated Press story

As we noted before, we think this news means that fares will rise on flights to and from New York City.

MORE
Listen to an audio clip of a confused ground controller at J.F.K.

Today, the U.S. dollar buys about half as much in western Europe as it did in 2001. In a previous blog post, we told you how some forecasters predict that the dollar will perk up in the new year.

Now we want to hear from you!

Is the dollar driving you out of Europe? How are exchange rates affecting your travel plans? And how are you keeping travel costs down? Please share your thoughts below.

We recently invited readers to share their tips on solo travel. Here are some highlights.

Greyhound now lets passengers pay $5 each way for priority seating on bus rides departing from more than 30 cities. You can reserve a specific seat from 30 days in advance (and up to 45 minutes before departure). The fee also gives you the right to board before other passengers.

Like many Greyhound services, this is a "work-in-progress." For example, when we just looked this morning, we didn't see any mention of this service on Greyhound.com, even though it's been in a trial phase since mid-November. (Sigh.) The press release suggests that you see a Greyhound ticket agent for details.

Why blame travelers for their carbon emissions when there are other, more effective ways of cutting down on pollution? One solution is wind-powered cargo ships. They're a cheaper transportation option for merchandise on the seas, and their use could dramatically cut back on damage to the environment. BBC News has a video report on the first cargo ship to try it:

EARLIER Twenty of our readers sound off about "sustainable travel."

About 70 readers of this blog commented on our recent post Can you still afford Europe? (Plus about 22 additional comments on our post Dollar Forecast for 2008.)

About 35 of those comments were from readers who say that next year they plan to go to Alaska, Asia, and Latin America instead of Europe because of the weak buying power of the dollar.

Here's a sampling of the comments:

Thank you for reading the blog this year! The most viewed entries were the ones based on readers comments, and if you commented on a blog post recently, we particularly thank you. Traveling is something few of us get to do as much as we like, but by pooling our knowledge, we all benefit.

Merry Christmas! And happy travels to you in 2008!

WHAT WE'RE READING NOW

Jaunted: Paul Brady gives the scoop on How to Keep Your Frequent Flier Miles Alive When You Can't Fly on an Airline.

Gadling: Neil Woodburn has a fascinating 16-part blog series on his trip to North Korea.

Gridskipper's Chris Mohney polled his readers to find out their picks on how to Drink Classy in New York. (What guidebook can compete with an instant poll of hip folks like that?)

World Hum contributors have a strong literary bent, and they have named the travel books they loved most in 2007.

Slate: Rolf Potts won an award for this piece: Virgin Trail: Travels in the Other Central America.

Ben Popken has become a travelers's avenging angel at The Consumerist. Witness this recent post: Hawaiian Air Charges a $75 Death Fee.

On his blog, Tim Leffel offered some tips on How to Find Useful Travel Destination Websites.

Last, Steve Hendrix has been on a roll at The Washington Post with several fun stories in the past year or so. One favorite is Rafting's Flip Side.

We've received 62 more comments in our blog discussion about the weak buying power of the dollar in Western Europe. (Thanks to everyone who commented.)

Roughly half of you are planning to go anywhere but Europe this year because of the falling value of the dollar.

While the dollar has lost half its value in many European countries, folks in the travel industry have remained optimistic that Americans will continue to travel to Europe. But our readers are suggesting that the dollar has finally fallen enough against the euro that Western Europe has become too expensive to visit.

(E K Kadiddlehopper had the inspired suggestion to European governments: "Implement an across-the-board discount for U.S. senior citizen visitors.")

Despite the worries, dozens of other readers still plan on visiting Europe this year. Perhaps their sentiment was best summed up by Tex, who wrote:

We're going back to Europe, and the sooner, and the more often, the better! We just did a Euro cruise in October, and have another planned for next October. Euro, schmuro--who cares what the economics are? I still want to see the sights! Suppose you get hit by a bus tomorrow and all of a sudden can't walk through the ruins of Pompeii or down the steps to the Trevi fountain or across the cobblestones of Amsterdam--are you going to feel satisfied, knowing you made some solid economic decision? Not me, baby! Gimme the sights, the smells, the tastes, the pictures, the memories of Europe, right now. And if it costs more than visiting Omaha, so be it. Milk costs more than it did last year, and I'm still drinking it! And I'll be drinking in more of Europe, just as soon as I get packed.

If you still want to go Europe, though, follow our readers' helpful tips on cutting costs. Here are a bunch:

Hotwire has dropped its $6 a ticket charge, whether you're buying a standard airfare or one of the website's signature "blind bookings" where you don't know the name or time of your flight.

via John Gruner on the travel blog of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

MORE ON TRAVEL FEES

USAirways.com slaps fees on its fares.

Cruise lines are adding fees after you've paid.

[Photo courtesy of hotwire user e.t. on flickr.]

Hidden inside of Google Earth's version 4.2 is a flight simulator, which allows you to feel like you're piloting an airplane over satellite images of the Earth's surface.

To access the hidden feature, open Google Earth and (if you're using a Mac) hit Command+Option+A (note it must be capital A) and (if you're using Windows) Ctrl+Alt+A.

You are offered a choice of flying a Viper fighter jet or a four-seater plane.

Here's a one-minute video of what this looks like over London:

Thanks to Marco for posting the tip on his blog.

You'll find 'em in our handy roundup, here.

Have a Happy New Year!

EARLIER Many readers are not traveling to Europe in 2008 because of the weak buying power of the dollar there.

It's that time of year for taking stock of where we've been and where we're headed, not just in our daily lives, but in our travels.

When we recently asked readers how the weak dollar is affecting their plans, we received a flood of more than 200 comments. Many discussed seeking out alternatives to Europe—such as Argentina, Thailand, India, Croatia, and China—and staying closer to home (Alaska, Texas).

We have our own list of places that have recently piqued our interest (more on that after the jump), and we'd like to hear from you: Where are you headed in 2008?

Photo of a little cove in Bermuda, between Warwick Bay and Horseshoe Bay, by Buff Strickland (yes, that's his real name).

Planes were one of the last unconnected sanctuaries, but now airlines are experimenting with in-flight WiFi, and soon you'll be able to surf the Internet, check e-mail, and message friends and fellow passengers while flying.

We explored the potential effects—such as airlines monitoring which sites passengers can access, or creating social networks for their frequent fliers—in this previous blog post.

We want to hear from you! Is in-flight WiFi a step forward or backward for air travel? Are you sure you want to be logged on while on board?

It's time for another Question of the Week:

Travel is one of those things that you'd get really good at if you did them all the time. Unfortunately, few people get to do it all the time—including the staff of Budget Travel. So we're pooling our knowledge: We ask you a question, you share your advice, and then we spotlight the most helpful tips in a future magazine issue. This week's question is:

"This February, a girlfriend and I will visit friends who recently moved to Napa. Since we've never been there and the couple is new to the area, we'd love to know about any must-see spots, restaurants, and shops. (They're in the wine business, so I think we have vineyards covered!)" —Lauren Feuer, Editorial Production Manager

EARLIER: Readers answer a question about museums and hotels in Knoxville.

Violet took this photo of her funny purchase:

[Found at Violet's Flickr page. Hat tip to Boing Boing]

The small print on the product is funny, too: "For best quality open package and chew them all."

Love foreign supermarkets as much as we do? Now you can prove it. Send your supermarket souvenir photo and caption (click here for email address) with the subject line "Supermarket Souvenir," and we'll consider your photo for our slide show. See the slide show here.

We recently asked readers if they knew of any must-see spots, restaurants, and shops in Napa Valley, Calif.

You offered a bunch of great tips! Here's a sampling (edited for space):

Tom says:

My wife and I have been there many times. Cakebread Cellars has a tour included with the tasting, but call to reserve a time. I am not a fan of V. Sattui Winery because it's always so crowded, like a cattle car, even though I like their wines. To avoid traffic on the roads, drive the Silverado Trail, which is less crowded and has a number of very good wineries—especially as you get further north.

Smyrna says:

A little known tidbit on the Napa Valley: Pacific Union College is nestled in the hills 8 miles east of St. Helena, and it owns hundreds of untouched acres. For budget accommodations only 8 miles away from St. Helena, the girls dorm offers guest rooms for less than $100/night double occupancy. See www.puc.edu for details. Sunshine Foods Market in St. Helena is great for a quick bite or picnic food. Do not miss Guini's in St. Helena on Main Street. The sandwiches are a local favorite! Say yes to Guini juice on your sandwich.

Bill says:
Rutherford Grill is where you'll find locals enjoying themselves and great food. Take a hike - Bale Grist Mill State Park and several city parks in Napa are terrific - eg. Skyline and West Hills.

Leah says:

You must eat at Redd! It's located in Yountville and well worth the money. Another must is Taylor's Refresher. Great fun to sit outside, drink shakes and eat a yummy ahi tuna burger or a super tasty blt.... Woodhouse Chocolate in St. Helen is also lovely and a good place to buy gifts for others (in addition to wine, of course!). Plus the town is super sweet and has some lovely little boutiques along the main street. They also have a nice farmer's market just behind the grade school, but not sure of the dates and it may not open until late spring.

"Travelmystic" says:

Check out the SF Chronicle ads for hotel/resort specials, some midweek off season deals are fantastic. Current special is a new resort on the Napa river at the Vino Bello Resort begin at $129 for a spacious studio + a botttle of wine. AAA also lists some very good specials in their magazine VIA. We often check out at the visitors center in town what B & B's are offering half off prices—especially midweek—and have stayed at some wonderful Inns.

Lisa says:
For a change of pace from winery tours, how about a tour of the Jelly Belly factory nearby. [In Fairfield, about 20 miles outside of Napa.] The samples are delicious and the tour is fun. The nearby Budweiser Brewery tour is less fun although the samples are generous.

See the full list of tips here.

EARLIER Bud Travel gets Facebooked! More than 460 people have become a friend of Bud. If you're already on Facebook, you can view his profile here.

A poll of 1,230 frequent diners found that many of them were frustrated with restaurant policies regarding late arrivals.

The survey found that diners had little patience for restaurants that fail to have tables ready when they arrive. Most of the diners thought of restauran