Rediscovering New York (for the First Time)

For the past several years, the word "travel" in my world has almost exclusively meant "overseas travel." In fact, the vast majority of the stamps in my passport lately are ones I received on trips to and from Italy, as I've ventured back and forth pursuing the necessary paperwork to move there. But this summer I got to do some non-family-related domestic travel for the first time in a long time, and I was reminded what a cool country I live in.

I spent a few days in Chicago in July to attend two conferences (BlogHer and TBEX), and although I did basically nothing even remotely touristy while I was there, I really enjoyed my stay. My only prior visit to Chicago had been en route back from France in 1999, when we had a long enough layover that we zipped into the city and up the Sears Tower before zipping back out to the airport and our flight home. This was, clearly, in the days before extended waits at the security line which probably would have made that 2-hour layover long enough for, well, nothing. But that's another topic for another article.

When I was planning my trip to Chicago this year, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of costs. It's not the tourist destination that New York or Miami might be, but it's certainly a big city with lots to offer. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that airline tickets to Chicago from Portland weren't crazy expensive, even in the summer. And not only did I find a good selection of Chicago cheap hotels that I could choose from, the one I ended up in was Italy-themed (never a bad thing in my book), a mere 3-minute walk from the Magnificent Mile and way more upscale than I'm used to - while still being a bargain.

As I said, I was in Chicago for conferences, so I didn't really get out and explore much - but I really loved the feel of the city center, and walking to and from the conference sites from my hotel was a pleasure. The architecture is beautiful and varied, and I was impressed with the amount of green the city planners had incorporated into a busy city center. I know in my head that Chicago's a big city that stretches far beyond the little part I was covering daily, but somehow taking the city in bite-sized pieces like that made it feel small enough that I felt comfortable immediately (regardless of my unfamiliarity with it).

These thoughts got me thinking about my relationship with America's #1 big city, New York. It's not as positive a story. Yet.

My dad, who grew up in New York City, drilled into my head from a very young age that New York was dirty, scary, crime-filled, and a place I definitely did not want to spend any time. I really don't know what the city was like in my youth, but I have no doubts that it was pretty bad when my dad was growing up - in other words, I don't think he was trying to instill unfounded fear into his kids' minds to keep us safe. Unfortunately, however, no matter how many years have passed since he issued those warnings, I still find myself on edge most of the time when I'm in New York.

As a kid, we'd go into "the city" on a regular basis to visit relatives or for eye doctor appointments (before you ask, yes, there were plenty of perfectly fine eye doctors where we lived in Connecticut, but the New York one was a relative, and that's the way my people do things). As an adult, I've been to New York only a handful of times, and I've had really nice experiences there. So why is it that when I think about traveling I never consider going back to New York?

I think my plan of attack needs to be similar to what I did in Chicago - I need to go in without expectations, take the city in bite-sized pieces, and (above all) relax. Just like with Chicago, I know there are cheap flights to New York from Portland, and the array of cheap hotels New York has to offer is downright astounding (although I'm not so sure some of them wouldn't sour me on NYC permanently). I'm not typically a package tour kind of girl, but I might just look into what New York vacation packages include in their itineraries so I can potentially add some of those things (the ones that aren't obvious, anyway) to my to-do list. Sometimes, those vacation planners come up with nice lesser-known attractions and activities that can make a trip feel unique, which is always welcome in a heavily touristed place like New York.

Last, but certainly not least, I'd consult my now vast network of contacts who either live in or used to live in New York. I like and respect these people, and they like NYC, so there's got to be something there. Between their recommendations and the family friends I have who still live in Manhattan, I'm pretty sure I could come up with a good enough customized NY travel guide that would help me get over my childhood aversion to the city.

At the very least, I'm eager to give my theory a try.

V Australia launches fares to Thailand and South Africa

I was lucky enough to be invited to go on a press trip to Australia this past May. Along with 5 other American journalists who were brought to Queensland in an effort to promote the Working Holiday Visa now available to Americans and backpacking in Queensland in general, we were flown on one of Virgin Australia’s new trans-Pacific flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane.

>>Read about the V Australia flights from Kathleen Crislip, one of my fellow journalists on the press trip

As much as I was dreading the long haul flight (and turning around and doing the same flight on the way back just one week later), I was totally impressed (and surprised) with how easy the whole flight felt on Virgin. Not only did we get great treatment in our Premium Economy seats—the food wasn’t horrible, the wine was free flowing and there were so many great entertainment options there was no way I was going to see or listen to all that I wanted on the 12+ hour flight.

In other words, I was impressed with Virgin Australia and would recommend that not only other travelers consider them for their flight to Australia, but me, the budget savvy girl, would even go so far as to say that it might even be worth spending a few extra dollars to fly Virgin than one of the other airlines (if you are going to be stuck on an airplane that long, you don’t want the whole thing to be that unpleasant of an experience).

Because I had such a great experience flying on V Australia, I got excited when I heard news that V Australia would be launching fares to Thailand and South Africa. V Australia launched operations on the competitive trans-Pacific route from Los Angeles to Sydney last February—which prompted fare wars between Virgin and Qantas and drove prices down on flights to Australia by almost half of what they had been just one year before and which made for some insane deals on flights to Australia.

While Virgin still took a hit last quarter (the travel industry has been hard hit by the economic recession and fewer people traveling by air), apparently the airline is not backing down for opening new routes and breaking into new markets. V Australia is also hoping to dominate a corner of the market—as it will be the only airline offering direct flights from Brisbane to Phucket and Melbourne to Phucket.

While the V Australia flights to Thailand will only be departing from Australia, those looking for airfare to Bangkok should be pleased that Virgin is entering the market. Not only does it have the potential to drive down fares in general to Thailand (especially from Australia), but it also offers up another great carrier option for those looking to travel to Thailand.

I met many backpackers (some American, some assorted Scandinavians, and a whole lot of Brits) during my trip to Australia and many of them had just been to or were headed to Thailand as part of their extended travel plans and around the world trips. Hearing about all of the great, cheap hotels in Bangkok, the Full Moon parties, the beaches and the food (oh the food) made me pretty envious my trip to Australia was ending with a flight back to the U.S. and not to Thailand.

>>For those headed to the World Cup in 2010, V Australia will also be launching new routes from Oz to Johannesburg in March just in time for the worldwide soccer event. The airline has also sent an application asking the International Air Services Commission for permission to operate flights between Australia and Fiji-which means that V Australia fans could soon be able to fly from Oz to nearby Fiji.

Atlantic City must be seen to be believed

I know it’s been a while since I rapped at ya, but with a friend of mine currently thinking about a trip to Atlantic City, I just had to say something. I’ve been to Atlantic City many times and I do think it’s misunderstood, and figuring out how to get there is one of the bigger mysteries.

There is an international airport in Atlantic City, but it’s only served by 3 small airlines, and it only has incoming flights from a handful of cities, mostly in Florida and in that region. There are no flights from New York, since it’s faster and cheaper to drive or take a bus or even hire a taxi for the journey from that city.

What you want to do is look for flights to Newark, and from there it’s only about 60 miles and an easy drive. There are pretty good bargains on rental cars in Newark, at least compared to the airports in New York City itself, so you can be in Atlantic City about 2 hours after your plane lands, without spending a fortune.

The other tricky part is where to stay. By now I think everyone has heard the story that hotels in Atlantic City are almost all either attached to fancy casinos, or they are complete dumps. There are actually some places in between these days, and some of them are located only a block or two from the casinos, so those are good places to look if you are on a budget.

You also have to consider that pretty much all hotels are really hurting for business these days, so all of them are offering great promotional deals, and many of them will give you an even lower price, or a nicer room, if you pick up the phone and call them to ask. Hotels in this area that used to charge over $200 per night are often going for about half that this summer, even though it’s supposed to be peak season.

The boardwalk in Atlantic City is nice, and worth a stroll, but once you get two or more blocks away from it things change for the worse, often in a big way. I wish this was no longer true, but really the city is kind of a mess except for the big casinos and the boardwalk, and even some of the fancy hotels are having tough times too. Still, all of this means that it’s a great time for a visit, so the odds are in your favor.

How Leonardo Dicaprio made me want to go to Thailand

I have long wanted to travel to Thailand. One of my mother’s best friends has lived in Bangkok for years and every time she returns to the states for a visit, she is full of exotic stories of Thailand, the food and the people. I became immediately curious about this far away and enchanting place of spices, beautiful beaches and a rich culture. However, I have to be honest that it was more than just Marsha’s tales from Bangkok that inspired my desire to travel to Thailand. It also had something to do with a movie. And a bad one at that.

In 2000, when I was the tender age of 15 (and still carrying around a pretty big crush on Leonardo DiCaprio), the movie The Beach came out. The scenery was stunning and when I found out the movie had filmed on the beaches in Thailand I knew I had to go there. It’s 9 years later, and while I have developed a serious affection for Thai food during those years, I have not yet visited Thailand or the beaches that enthralled me from the cheesy DiCaprio love flick.

As it turns out, this year may finally be the time for me to pack up my favorite swimsuits and head to Thailand. With airfare to Bangkok, Thailand cheaper than it has been in years and plenty of great offers and deals to be found at cheap hotels in Bangkok, there is little reason not to book my ticket and head out on a Thai vacation of my dreams. In fact, with the economy down and almost everything in the travel industry discounted, now is a great time to also save money while traveling. Not only will you find your plane tickets are cheaper, but you’ll also find plenty of hotels offering cut-rate rooms and specials on tours and other tourism related activities.

Plus, while Thailand certainly has it’s fair share of nice resorts and fancy hotels, it has also been a major backpacking destination for hot spots, meaning you’ll have no problem finding hostels in Bangkok or in the many beach towns popular among travelers. With the dollar usually quite strong against the Thai currency, you’ll also find yourself spending a lit less money once you are over there than you may have anticipated, making Thailand a very budget-savvy choice right now.

Since work and other adult obligations have me grounded for the time being with no Thai adventure on the near horizon, I’ll probably have to satiate my desire to travel to Thailand by visiting my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland called Pok Pok-- woofing up their delicious dishes seasoned with lemon grass, cilantro, limes, chilies and coconut milk until I can make a trip to Thailand myself and eat the real deal.

How to travel more without going broke or getting fired

It will not come to a surprise to anyone that I love to travel. As a travel writer by profession, this is probably something you’d expect. There is something about being away from home and the daily grind—whether it’s on a weekend trip to the nearby Oregon coast or a 6-week backpacking trip through the jungles of Panama—that invigorates my senses, wakes me up to new experiences and satisfies my desire for adventure. It’s not that I do not enjoy hanging out in my beautiful hometown of Portland, Oregon, it’s just that I feel most alive when I’m on the road discovering new things and opening myself up to the possibility of the unknown.

Unfortunately, work and finances prevents me from gallivanting the globe on long term trips (not yet at least), so sometimes I am forced to get a little more creative with ways to get away without a) breaking the bank and b) losing my job. Weekend getaways are a great way to satiate your travel bug, while still remaining gainfully employed and with money in your bank account.

Especially with summer here, now is the perfect time to think about weekend trips where you can get away from home, unwind, enjoy the warm weather and forget about responsibilities of home for awhile (without spending much money). Here in the Pacific Northwest, this will mean weekend road trips to the coast and mountains, camping trips in the Cascades and maybe even a rafting trip down the Rogue River.

My mother was definitely the one who instilled a love of travel in me from an early age. Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, her weekend trips as a child usually involved heading to the beach in the summer and to the Pennsylvania mountains for skiing in the winter. With so many great little beachy hotels in Virginia Beach (and a great beach), it is no wonder this was a favorite weekend getaway spot for my mom and my grandparents when she was growing up.

Another great way to make more weekend trips is to take cheaper trips. This means staying in hostels, cutting down food budgets and finding ways to save. If you spend less on each vacation, you’ll have more money in the bank for the next trip. Whether you are new to hostels or their old hat, reading up on the hostel blog can help you not only find a hostel, but also what to expect (for example: did you know more and more hostels are offering private beds or want to know the most notorious hostels in Europe?).

Until the day I either win the lottery, discover gold, or marry a multi-millionaire I will continue to scheme up ways of saving on each and every trip and how to get out and hit the road as often as possible.

Find Hostels in Europe this Summer

We recently re-designed out Hostel section and are quite happy with the update. Hostels are one of the oldest sections on BootsnAll. I think we put it up in 2001 or so since independent travelers are into hostels bigtime.

Anyway, Hostels are busy in Europe during the summer and 100's of thousands of people crash on cheap bunks as they make their way around Europe. Some of the most Expensive European cities have tonnes of Hostels like London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Amsterdam making it super affordable for the average traveler to visit.

Check out our new city hostel pages.

Hostels in London
Amsterdam Hostels
Hostels in Paris

We link to most of the hostels in those cities and in the content bit, try to highlight some of the most popular ones to keep your browsing effcient. So get planning and booking as many of these major cities do not have hostel beds waiting for you if you stroll up at 5 pm on any given day!

Best of the Boards for the week of February 5, 2007

Check out the topics currently being discussed on the BootsnAll Travel Forums:

• Some travelers never pick a guidebook up, others never put them down. Most of us fall somewhere in between. VickyNewell wants to know why some backpackers are so reliant on their guidebooks? Are they all first-time travelers who need the safety net? Are they afraid to step too far off the beaten path? What do you think?




• Bargaining is central to some cultures, and is therefore a key part of many travel experiences. But not everyone is comfortable haggling. Do you bargain when you travel?




• There are often questions on the boards about whether people going on long trips should bring their laptops along, and there is rarely a shortage of opinion on both sides of the issue. If you don't want to bring your own computer with you, you might still want to visit internet cafes every couple of days. On the other hand, you might take your travels as the perfect excuse to get away from email and cell phones. So, when you travel, how connected do you like to stay?




• Often, people who go on RTW trips have been working like dogs and saving money in order to quit one day and fund their trip. Lucky me wants to know how much you're willing to give up money-wise to fulfill the dream of long-term travel.

Please contribute your thoughts and comments to these threads! And if you're not already a member, sign-up here - it's free!