WHAT A TRIP!

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HOTEL OF THE WEEK: EXPLORA IN PATAGONIA, CHILE

I hope I don't say this too often and lose credibility, but this seriously is one of the most gorgeous spots on Earth...Hotel Salto Chico is situated in one of my favorite places for natural beauty.

I visited this Explora resort in Patagonia,Chile 13 years ago this month. A girl friend and I made the stop as part of our South America journey through Argentina and Chile. This particular region is the southernmost point of the Americas, located in the Torres del Paine National Park. What an amazing time we had here.

The stunning architecture neither competes nor detracts from the awesome setting. The concept here is to bring travelers into nature and the surrounding environment. The crystal clear blue-green lake and scraggly Paine Massif mountains was the view from our room.

What makes the Explora experience unique is that it is run like a camp for grown ups. Every morning we'd wake up and check out the activities for the day on the blackboard in the common area. One day we went for an all day hike up mountains through lush forests dappled with waterfalls. A serious hike - walking sticks were definitely needed.

Another day we went for  half day a hike..and yet another we went horse back riding in the pampas.

We met so many people from all over the world - socializing in the bar at cocktail hour with the drink specialty "pisco sours" was a fun way to cap the day. Everyone ate together in the intimate dining room.

The only downfall to this exquisite, upscale lodge is that you are definitely paying for the high thread count sheets....and getting there is definitely a journey. Planes, trains, and four hours on a rickety bus that made me so carsick I was clutching a paper bag. I guess that is just a small price to pay for being in such a remote and still pristine hideaway...

www.explora.com

Super Bowl Sunday : Miami with Kids

MIllions of eyes will be upon Miami this weekend when the Colts and Saints face off for Super Bowl XLIV. I'm sure there will plenty of aerial beauty shots of this tropical town, but nothing can quite capture the true essence of this vibrant and diverse city like being there. So I'll do my best to recapture my experience there, and describe some great things to do with kids.

Many people don't associate Miami with children - they think nightlife, sexy beaches, art scene..but really, it is a great place to take the kids if you know where to go. Here are some of my favorite family-friendly destinations:

1) Monkey Jungle: I've never been anywhere like this - it was very entertaining. There are hundreds of different kinds of monkeys roaming free on this 30 acre rain-forest like preserve. (Don't worry - from what I remember the gorillas can't get out of their habitat!) But there are small monkeys that will jump on your shoulder if you walk through their space with food in your hand...I had about 6 monkeys on me at one time, and had to say my lines for a travel show while cracking up as more monkeys hounded me. www.monkeyjungle.com

2) Children's Museum of Miami: A wonderfully educational and fun experience for children - with enough exhibits and special programs to spend all day here. www.miamichildrensmuseum.org

Some original exhibits were:

The Bank: A 6 foot piggy-bank where kids can learn to save, spend, and earn money. They also get to design their own dollar bills.

Health and Wellness Center:In a fun way,  kids discover how good food and exercise keep us healthy and fit.

Port of Miami: Kids find out what happens in a real port - importing and exporting and how to operate a giant crane.

Artist in Residence: Kids can observe and interact with a professional artist. There is also an art space at the museum so kids can create their own masterpieces after they've been inspired.

Music Studio: Kids try out different instruments and can visit a recording studio.

Other programs that sounds great: Cooking classes, fish tank feeding, and up close with a cruise ship.

3)Jungle Island: A 18.6 acre theme park with some 3,000 exotic animals. You can attend the animal stage show, visit a petting farm, see reptiles and a bird show. www.jungleisland.com

4) Miami Seaquarium: A marine life entertainment park with a killer whale show..and many other up close and personal opportunities with endangered sea turtles, manatees, etc.

The really special exhibit at the Seaquarium is the dolphin program - 30 minutes in the water with dolphins touching, feeding, and training with them. The price is steep: $199...but ya do get a photo op with the smart swimmers - priceless. Kids have to be a certain height to participate.  www.miamiseaquarium.com

5) Everglades Alligator Farm: If you can swing it, and you haven't overdone the animal theme here, the alligator farm is 28 miles from MIami. There are more than 3000 gators to view in a rustic atmosphere. You can even get a photo taken with a baby gator..I wish I could find my photo of that - don't worry - they duct tape the little guy's jaws shut. There are entertaining shows with the gators, including watching them get fed and a "weird animal show." www.everglades.com

6) We'll leave the animal world, and head to the water... The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables is a little cheesy and enchanting at the same time, although I veer more toward the enchanting side..especially because it is located in beautiful Coral Gables. The Venetian Pool is included in the Register of Historic Places. It is a unique sight: Vine covered loggias, shady porticoes, a European fountain, cascading waterfalls, coral rock caves and Venetian style architecture. It almost looks like something shipped out of Orlando's Disneyworld. This public pool sees a lot of kids during the summer, and they reportedly take great pains in draining the pool every day to keep the water clean. Must be 3 years old and 38 inches tall to enter. www.coralgablesvenetianpool.com

7) See Miami by Boat: Many tour operators offer cruising through Biscayne Bay.. soaking up the sun, and checking out the luxurious homes of the rich and famous. Most kids love a ride on the water..do your research and you will find various operations that take you out on the bay.

8) Lastly - you can't forget a day at the beach. According to locals, two of the best family friendly beaches are on Key Biscayne:

--Crandon Park Beach with food stalls, picnic tables, beach chairs, water sports rentals, volleyball, restrooms,swing set, and lifeguards.

--BIll Baggs Cape Florida State Beach with concession stands, picnic tables, historic lighthouse, beach chairs, walking and bike trails, life guards.

Good times to go: Oct-May - sunny and nice... weather should be great for Sunday!

Travel Tip Tuesday: How to Get the Best Plane Seat in Coach

The middle seat, in the last row of the plane, right near the restroom, on a red eye...can you say nightmare?

There are ways to prevent that dreaded scenario...of course, some airlines are charging now to reserve a specific seat in advance, so you better know what you are paying for.

There are some reasons you may want to pay to reserve your seat - for instance if you are traveling with a companion or children - you'd want to sit together. Or if you are on a perpetually crowded flight. (Think Newark-Los Angeles, Friday at 5PM) If you don't have a reserved seat, your chances of being bumped from a flight are greater.

So, if you are going to pay to reserve a seat, first check with websites like seatguru.com, or seatexpert.com to get great information like what amenities your plane offers (in flight movie? WiFi?), how close a seat is to the restroom, the width of the seats, and my personal favorite - which seats have power ports so you can charge your laptop, iPod, and DVD player to keep those kids entertained! Especially important for us parents.

The reason this is my favorite is because I can't tell you how many times I have been on the phone with an airline agent who has no idea which seats have power ports,or if WiFi is offered. To top that, I have asked at the gate agents for seats with power ports, and they didn't know either.

Luckily, I have done online research in advance with the above mentioned websites, and  learned if the plane had WiFi and which seats offer power ports. I would have been really annoyed if I hadn't packed my laptop or adapter and listened to the uninformed airline employees who told me there was no WiFi or power ports. **Do remember to bring an adapter to plug into the plane's cigarette-lighter-like power ports.

If you aren't going to pay to reserve a seat, try to check in online the MINUTE the airline lets you (24 hours in advance most times)..that way you can avoid any lines just to pick a seat and beat the crowd. Also, try to fly at off peak times so the likelihood of empty seats is greater; translation: you might not be stuck with a middle seat. And if you are traveling with children, check to see which airlines offer pre-boarding for families so you can get convenient seats all together.

Happy Travels...

HOTEL OF THE WEEK: FOUR SEASONS LANA'I

There are actually two Four Seasons Resorts on the island of Lana'i...the Lodge at Koele, and Manele Bay. Both very different, but both high end hotels.

You're probably thinking - yeah but the Four Seasons is expensive...(yes, and sometimes worth it!) - but I have picked these as the hotel(s) of the week because both are running incredible specials right now.

At Manele Bay, the Four Seasons located closer to the beach, if you stay three nights, you can take advantage of a fourth night free. For a basic garden room, that could be just $259 a night for this upscale resort! Make sure right before you leave you call and ask for an upgrade. Most hotels want to keep their guests happy, so if they have open rooms at the last minute that they don't think they can sell, many will give free upgrades. Be sure to ask!

Every Four Seasons has a kids club, and Manele Bay has great snorkeling that kids will enjoy. It makes for a great, relaxing family vacation if a beach environment is what you are after. And look at the gorgeous golf course there...

 

At the Lodge, the deal is even better.

Stay two nights and you can get the third night free...room rates there could average as low as $197 when you get that third night complimentary. The Lodge at Koele has a totally different feel than Manele bay..so do your research as to which one you want to stay. Either way,  you should visit the property you end up not booking...have dinner there for a change. There aren't many off site restaurants like on Maui, so it would be nice to mix up the meals between the two hotels.

Hawaii is feeling the economic pinch, so if you can, take advantage of these offers. They are good until December 2010...holiday high season.

Make sure you sign up with airlines and twitter for email alerts on special airfare to Hawaii...at the time of writing, the best fares to Lana'i still came to $650 two weeks in advance. It is a bit of a trek to get there - the most common way is to fly into Honolulu, then take an inter-island flight to Lana'i. Hawaiian Air and Island Air both fly from Honolulu to Lana'i. Add another approximately $150 per person for the round trip inter-island flight. Aren't you glad you are saving money on the hotel??

Update - this may be my last post of the week...

My website is being revamped and my blog is being moved there... so I need to hold off on posts until all the information is transferred to the new website. Thanks!

Travel Tip Tuesday: Using Social Media to Snag a Cheap Flight

There are actually some valuable tweets in 140 characters... like the ones that let you know about special deals and cheap flight from your home town, or from wherever you want to fly. One easy way to grab some deals is to follow some airfare aggregators so you are immediately notified via a twitter feed of a good deal that you might be able to use.

For instance... If you live in New York, type in flyfromNYC in the search bar, and up will come the twitter page that will list new flight deals from New York to all over the world. You can find flights from almost 200 other domestic cities (i.e. flyfromLA, flyfromSF, etc.) At the time of this post, I found round trip tickets to Brussels for $540. This is good winter through spring, but DOESN'T include taxes or fuel surcharges that can definitely add to the cost of a trip, but it is still a great deal.

 
If Brussels isn't on your list of places to fly, this opportunity still gets you to Europe where you can easily take the trains to other countries - even some warmer ones this time of year. Or look into the European low cost carries like Ryan Air. At the time of this post, I found ROUND TRIP tickets on Ryan Air from Brussels to Rome for 30 pounds, which converted today translates to $42.00!

Travelzoo also provides a twitter service.. from about 30 cities nationwide. Type in SFfares (or LAfares, NYCfares, etc.) in the search bar, and you will find deals from San Francisco. At the time of this post, I found round trip airfares from SF to LA and Las Vegas for $99 round trip - and that INCLUDES tax.

If there is a domestic airline you fly regularly, type that airline into the search bar, and dozens of different ways to follow airline flights, flight delays, etc will come up. Let Twitter do the work for you - take advantage of these deals!

HOTEL OF THE WEEK: HOTEL MONACO, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Since it is the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, the hotel of the week is located where Dr. King gave his "I have a dream" speech... the always fun to visit Washington, D.C.

I used the live there in another life, and never got bored. I was reporting in that town - a journalists's dream - and learning the ins and outs of the city was fascinating.

One of my favorite things about D.C. for travelers is that SO MANY attractions are free! Next time you go check out Hotel Monaco, a luxury boutique hotel located close to the National Mall, with the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial to name a few. It's also practically next door to the Spy Museum, which is fun for kids and adults.

Read Hotel Monaco Washington DC - a Kimpton Hotel Reviews

This property is a Kimpton hotel, so you can count on quality, and an individual personality - not some cookie cutter accommodations. It is housed in an old post office. The exterior looks formal, but the interior decor is whimsical, yet stylish, with bright busy designs, and Thomas Jefferson busts all over.

Depending on when you go, there are affordable room rates - I've seen rates at $200 with a AAA card. But - I have also heard the rooms with the best rate are smallish and a little dark. There are many packages running - including one "The Lost Symbol" package based on Dan Brown's current best seller. The room comes with a map detailing all the spots from the book.  www.monaco-dc.com

 

 

TIP: You may want to go when the cherry trees blossom - it is gorgeous...usually end of March, early April for about two weeks. Shoulder season travel too!

 

Travel Tip Tuesday: Vancouver on Sale

Just in time for the Winter Olympics...airfare deals to Vancouver!  In case you've been hedging about going to see the exciting sporting event in person next month, let me entice you with some Air Canada deals:

Right now you can fly round trip from Los Angeles to Vancouver for $118. Of course, this advertised price doesn't include taxes, so when I called the airline to check on that, it is a whopping $73 more..bringing the real total to $191.73. Still a good deal in comparison to normal prices, but don't ya just hate how they hook you before you know the whole truth?

This deal is good through March 10... no required advance purchase...and you can travel any day of the week. There are some great deals form San Francisco too. For more visit: www.aircanada.com. It is hard to find this special on the website, so it might be better to call 888 247-2262. But before you book on the phone, make sure they don't charge you extra for not using the website like some other airlines do.

Happy Travels!

The risk of being a victim of a terrorist attack

Ugh. Gruesome title of this post, I know. But come on - admit it - haven't you thought about this topic when you arrive at an airport ready for your next trip?

As a mother of three children, I have thought about it every time since 9/11. I had tickets on American Airlines to New York on 9/12/01 and returning 9/13/01... and was in Heathrow with my kids the day after British officials thwarted a plan to bomb several planes going to the US, which led to the restrictions on liquids.

I enjoy taking my kids on trips - even to foreign countries (OK OK there are definitely tough moments..) but I think about the potential threat mostly when I am traveling with them. Putting myself in the face of danger - I can handle that better than possibly exposing my young ones, the ones whom I am supposed to protect, to a calamity.

That is why I am a little obsessed with all the discussion about airport security right now. I have read the discussions comparing security at Israel's airline El Al (which reportedly has not been seen a terrorist attack in 30 years..) El Al's skilled interrogators interview each passenger before they even check their baggage. I also have listened to discussions amongst experts saying that bomb sniffing dogs are the way to go - especially if terrorists start placing cell phone activated explosives in body cavities that are immune to body scan detection.

 For those of you parents like me, I am sure you would feel better knowing your kids are safe to take on trips. Here is an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal calculating one's true risk of being killed in a terrorist attack. The underlying message is our fears our irrational. Does that make it more comforting? Judge for yourselves.

 Before you read the article - an amusing photo from today's WSJ of protesters on Germany to lighten things up a bit... the bikini clad woman had drawn arrows pointing to her body piercing and prosthetics that may set off body scanners...continue scrolling to read the article.

Most of us are horrible assessors of risk. Travelers at American airports are taking extensive steps due to fears of terrorism. But in the decade of the 2000s, only about one passenger for every 25 million was killed in a terrorist attack aboard an American commercial airliner (all of the fatalities were on 9/11). By contrast, a person has about a one in 500,000 chance each year of being struck by lightning.

The usual response I get to these statistics—especially in the wake of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's attempt to bring down Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day—is that although terrorist incidents aboard airplanes might never have been common, they are becoming more so. This belief, too, is mistaken. Relative to the number of commercial departures world-wide, passenger deaths resulting from what I term "violent passenger incidents"—bombings, hijackings, and other sabotage—were at least five times less common in the 2000s than in any decade from the 1940s through the 1980s.

Indeed, 9/11 looks like a horrible outlier. While it killed nearly 3,000 citizens, no other individual terrorist attack in the modern history of the 38 most highly developed nations has killed more than 329. Meanwhile, a literal repeat of 9/11 is unlikely, as Al Qaeda's diabolical innovation—turning a passenger jet into a missile—would almost certainly be thwarted by brave passengers (and secure cockpit doors).

Overall, academic and governmental databases report, terrorist attacks killed a total of about 5,300 people in the most highly developed nations since the end of the Cold War in 1991, a rate of about 300 per year. The chance of a Westerner being killed by a terrorist is exceedingly low: about a one in three million each year, or the same chance an American will be killed by a tornado. (The Department of Homeland Security's budget is 50 times larger than that of the weather service).

Nor is it clear that the threat from terrorism is increasing. The years between 2005 and 2009 (313 fatalities), in fact, represents the second safest period on record since at least 1970.Surely some of this is because of improved vigilance and intelligence. As well, other once-threatening terrorist organizations—like the Irish Republican Army, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP, and the Libyan extremists who brought down the flight over Lockerbie, Scotland,—have become dormant or de-radicalized.

There is one concern that rates as a clear exception to these statistics: the threat of terrorism involving nuclear weapons. The renowned Harvard scholar Graham Allison has posited that there is greater than a 50% likelihood of a nuclear terrorist attack in the next decade, which he says could kill upward of 500,000 people. If we accept Mr. Allison's estimates—a 5% chance per year of a 500,000-fatality event in a Western country (25,000 causalities per year)—the risk from such incidents is some 150 times greater than that from conventional terrorist attacks. Other scholars consider the chance of a nuclear incident to be much lower. Even if Mr. Allison has overestimated the risk by fivefold, and the number of causalities by threefold, it would still represent 10 times the threat that conventional terrorism does.

In other words, a more rational anti-terrorism policy would focus resources heavily, perhaps almost exclusively, on threats of nuclear and weapons of mass destruction terror. The good news is that, because it requires so much coordination to acquire fissile material, build a nuclear weapon, and successfully detonate it, the international community has many opportunities to stop such catastrophes before they occur—although Mr. Allison and other experts contend that present efforts are inadequate.

Other sorts of terrorist attacks are not so easily deterred. There's really nothing preventing someone from committing a suicide attack at a shopping mall, or a movie theater, or a sporting event. This is not to suggest that no efforts should be made to stop them. But surely we must understand that, at best, we will reduce the risk from an extremely small nonzero number to a slightly smaller nonzero number. And we must be aware of the potential trade-offs. For instance, although it might be politically incorrect to talk about the hardship imposed by adding 15 minutes to each passenger's journey because of increased screening at the airport, if that time is worth $20 per hour this would be taking about $3.5 billion of productivity out of the economy each year. (The FAA considers a measure to be "cost-effective" it if saves one life per $3 million spent, so such screenings would have to prevent 1,150 fatalities per year to meet its benchmark.)

This is not to suggest that no efforts should be made to stop "conventional" terror attacks. But surely we must understand that, at best, we will reduce the risk from an extremely small nonzero number to a slightly smaller nonzero number.

Many object to this sort of analysis—no cost is too high, they say, to prevent the next 9/11. But if history is any guide, the next attack will probably not be like 9/11—it will be like NWA 253, something which threatens the lives of dozens or hundreds of people, not thousands. To the extent we overreact to these incidents—allowing them to disrupt our economy and our way of life—we do little but increase the value to terrorists of committing them.

—Nate Silver is a founder of the political-forecasting Web site FiveThirtyEight.com.