tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74079931613325936482024-02-18T20:52:53.356-08:00Notes On TravelLarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-1834919051435355352009-04-23T08:02:00.000-07:002009-04-23T10:58:15.077-07:00Four Days, Four Hundred DollarsI just saved almost $400 by moving my travel plans up by four days.<div><br /></div><div>I'm making plans for what I hope is becoming an annual visit to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Liguria</span>, Italy where a good friend hosts a revolving set of visitors in a vacation home the the use of which he has for two weeks every spring. This year the drop-in period is the first two weeks of June.<div><br /></div><div>I find Pisa to be the most <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">convenient</span> airport for this region (the house is near the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Cinque</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Terre</span> on the coast near La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Spezia</span>) because there's a train station at the airport terminal, and because Delta offers non-stop flights from JFK at convenient times. Unfortunately, the flight is expensive — $869 round-trip leaving the first week of June.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year there were a few days when my friend and I were the only people in the house, so we took an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">hoc</span></span> road trip to Florence and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lucca</span>. This year I was considering spending a few days on my own touring another part of Italy — the time spent in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Liguria</span> is fantastic but there's so much Italy there, and this is the only time of the year I travel without my family.</div><div><br /></div><div>My inclination, I'm not sure why, was to spend a week or so in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Liguria</span> then a few days traveling. Fortunately, however, before I booked my flight I noticed a mention on one of the many budget travel blogs I read (was it <a href="http://www.frommers.com/community/blogs/">Arthur <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Frommer's</span> excellent site?</a>) about good fares for the period ending May 26<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">th</span> (I had been planning to fly May 30<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span>). By moving my solo travel days to the start of my trip, I got my airfare down from $869 to $500. The savings will easily cover my hotel and transportation costs for the three nights I'll be on my own.</div><div><br /></div><div>A good example of how a little flexibility can lead to a lot of savings. Unfortunately I don't have even that much flexibility with most family travel — school vacation is school vacation, and it's no good trying to move it backwards or forwards by more than a single day.</div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-61346407346550863762009-04-02T18:03:00.001-07:002009-04-06T09:47:48.086-07:00Hidden America — Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jYVpoqPvtuFBO3Ee-k_wuqq-fOvU2FkE80bJbXu_QuY22yjvlfNKQvCl-J6kWtxJwgW3P-CwTR5on5EDUZo_Z2m3D6ROBkOopm4LD8H8x5b_2pWD1dasuGzsB1KC7XTu9CZZ2jpyI2aY/s1600-h/P1030175.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jYVpoqPvtuFBO3Ee-k_wuqq-fOvU2FkE80bJbXu_QuY22yjvlfNKQvCl-J6kWtxJwgW3P-CwTR5on5EDUZo_Z2m3D6ROBkOopm4LD8H8x5b_2pWD1dasuGzsB1KC7XTu9CZZ2jpyI2aY/s320/P1030175.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320265877286526594" /></a><br />A few days ago I posted about <a href="http://notesontravel.blogspot.com/2009/03/hidden-america-great-sand-dunes.html">Great Sand Dunes National Park</a>, a little-known treasure of the National Park system in southern Colorado. If Great Sand Dunes is known to few, then Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southwestern Utah is known to almost no one.<div><br /></div><div>The dunes at Great Stand Dunes are much higher than the ones at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, but the at the latter the sand is a brilliant <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">salmony</span> pinkish-orange color. This park is not far from Bryce Canyon National Park with its famous eroded red rock formations, but here the erosion is already complete.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a convenient stop if you're traveling between the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the Bryce / Zion / <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Escalante</span> area. There's a campground at the park. The nearest town is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kanab</span>, Utah. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been there twice. One time we had the place to ourselves, the other time there were two other cars there. At one end of the dunes is an area in which off-road vehicles are allowed, but as long as you stay out of that area you're likely to have the place to yourself.</div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-1155038515243128032009-03-29T18:53:00.000-07:002009-04-02T17:27:52.615-07:00SIM Card City<div><div>In my <a href="http://notesontravel.blogspot.com/2009/03/staying-connected-on-road-roundup.html">last post</a> I discussed different methods for staying in touch while traveling, ending up with purchasing a "world phone" (an unlocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GSM</span> capable cell phone) and purchasing SIM cards. As I wrote then:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(41, 48, 59); font-size:13px;"><blockquote><div>Unlike standard US cell phones which are tied to a single provider's network, with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">GSM</span></span> phones, much of the important logic governing who your service provider is and what number your phone is attached to is stored on a removable card, called a SIM card, in the phone. If your phone is "unlocked" then you are able to freely change the SIM card at any time.</div><div><br /></div><div>This means that changing phone plans is as easy as swapping in a different card. Since unlocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">GSM</span></span> phones can cost as little as $20 or $30 and the same for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pre</span></span>-paid SIM card, this gives you a lot of flexibility. But it leaves you with a decision — what's the best card, or combination of cards, to use for overseas travel.</div></blockquote><div></div></span></div><div>Let's examine the question of which card to use.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Local SIM Cards</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As you move from country to country you can buy a new SIM card so that your phone number and provider will be within that country. You will then get local rates for calls within that country, and you will have the same international calling rates and roaming privileges that someone with service in that country has.</div><div><br /></div><div>In general, when you purchase a SIM card, it will have a usage credit included. You might pay $20 for the card and receive (along with a new phone number) $10 worth of calling credit. You can then add credit to your card any time you want.</div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, if you're traveling to France and Italy you would, on arrival, purchase a French SIM card and install it in your phone. You now have a French mobile telephone number and can call within France like a local. Calls overseas will be charged at the international rate that is associated with the plan on the SIM card you bought. </div><div><br /></div><div>When you travel to Italy, you can continue using your French cell phone, paying whatever international roaming charges are associated with your plan (because your phone will now need to use an Italian service provider). Alternatively, you could remove your French SIM card (saving it if it still has credit on it, or you want to preserve the phone number) and buy an Italian SIM card. You get a new (Italian) phone number and local calling within Italy.</div><div><br /></div><div>What are the rates? For country-specific SIM cards in Europe I've seen them as low as about 22 US cents per minute for both in-country and international calling, depending on the country. Other countries are variable — service is much more expensive in Mexico, for instance.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The advantages of using local SIM cards are that you have the best price calling within the country where you purchase the SIM card. You also have an in-country number to give to friends or family <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">in that country</span>. This works well if you're planning to be mainly in one country. If you're traveling around a good deal, however, you'll find yourself switching phone numbers frequently and if you want others to be able to reach you you'll need to let them know every time your number changes.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">International SIM Card</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></span></div><div>A number of companies now offer international roaming SIM cards. These are SIM cards in which you receive a permanent phone number in one country (it generally seems to be Britain) and a service plan that is usable in any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">GSM</span> country in which the phone works. The rates are not as cheap as local calling, generally starting around 50 US cents per minute and heading upwards from there. For that higher cost, however, you get the ability to use the phone in any country without replacing the SIM card and you keep one phone number as you travel.</div><div><br /></div><div>One thing to watch out for with international cards is to make sure that incoming calls remain free in those countries where this is normally true. (Free incoming calls aren't really free, by the way, it's just that the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">caller</span> is charged the per-minute cell phone surcharge.) Sometimes it's worth it — <a href="http://www.telestial.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Telestial</span> </a>has a card that charges for incoming cell phone calls even in Europe, but in exchange their rates for both outgoing and incoming calls are not much different from having a local card.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some international SIM cards are prepaid, meaning you get a certain amount of credit to start and then "recharge" your account in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span>-determined increments. But some offer credit card billing in which you pay only for the minutes you actually use. That's more efficient in those cases where you won't be talking a lot (or may not even use the phone at all), although the per-minute charges with these services are generally higher than with prepaid services. <a href="http://www.mobal.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mobal</span> </a>offers this kind of service and advertises in a lot of in-flight magazines. They offer post-billing (you only pay for the calls you make) and a permanent number (it doesn't expire after 9 or 12 months). In return, their rates are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">high</span>— $1.25 per minute and up for calling from Europe, for instance.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Mix & Match</span></div><div><br /></div><div>If you have an unlocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">GSM</span> phone you can mix and match local cards and international cards as desired. For normal travel you can use your international card, but if you settle for a while in a single country you can temporarily swap in a local card. Although I don't yet have a phone, it looks like I'll be getting a cheap unlocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">GSM</span> phone and the cheapest international roaming card I can find. If, in the future, I wind up spending a lot of time in one country, I'll just pick up a local card there.</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-81107359890995356052009-03-27T07:40:00.000-07:002009-03-29T19:31:11.595-07:00Staying Connected On The Road — A Roundup.<div>I've never been that concerned about staying in touch when I'm on the road. For me, being out of touch has always been one of the pleasures of traveling. I remember in 1985 finding that I was able to pick up a telephone in a campground in northern Greece and (relatively) easily make a clear collect call back to my family in New York. At first, I was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pleasantly</span> surprised but that pretty soon gave way to a sense of disappointment. My world had suddenly become a little smaller.</div><div><br /></div><div>While that views seems a little naive now (so 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> century, you might say), until recently I still felt the same way. A number of factors have recently combined to make me think about staying connected on the road. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first is that I'll be most likely be repeating my without-the-family <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Liguria</span> trip of last year again this spring and I want to know that they can reach me anytime they need to. </div><div><br />Secondly, I have the opportunity to travel a little more these days, but I still can't afford to completely out of touch with my clients. In particular, I find myself limiting the length of my trips to two weeks or so even during the summer, when the family could travel for potentially as much as six weeks at a time.</div><div><br />Finally, I increasingly feel the need to be able to make in-country and next-country phone calls to arrange hotels and other things. Last year I had a needless two hour wait in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Levanto</span> train station because I wasn't able to let my host know exactly what train I was on. Earlier this year I had to purchase an expensive calling card in the airport when it turned out that a poet's convention had booked out most of the rooms in Granada, Nicaragua (that doesn't happen in New York, by the way!) on the day we were scheduled to arrive at 11pm. </div><div><br /></div><div>When you have unlimited time for travel, two hours spent in a train station can be a pleasant opportunity. When your return is booked for eight days later, it feels more like wasted time. And while the 25 year old me wouldn't have had any concern about walking around a city at 11pm trying to roust a hostel owner to let me in, 46 year old me isn't really willing to put my seven and a nine year old daughters through that.</div><div><br /><div>I write all of this a little defensively because there are plenty of people who feel the way I used to feel. And not just that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">they</span> want to be out of touch when they travel, but that anyone who doesn't is, somehow, morally inferior. Just check out the comments at the recent Frugal Traveler <a href="http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/staying-in-touch-internationally-on-the-cheap/">blog</a> on the subject.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're not yet connected when you travel but want to be, here are the results of my research on how to do it as economically as possible. Options include:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Don't Do It</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It is still possible to travel without a phone, providing phone numbers of hotels and friends for emergencies and using the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">occasional</span> pay phone or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Internet</span> cafe to reach people if you need to. If your needs don't extend beyond this, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">definitely</span> advise it. This works best if you have a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">pre</span>-planned itinerary, or don't have anyone who might want to reach you. If you can do it, by all means do. You'll save money and the hassle of carrying around yet one more thing.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Computer, Not Phone</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Most people know about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Skype</span> and similar services, that let you use an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Internet</span>-connected computer to make voice and video calls. This kind of calling is often free for computer-to-computer calls and very inexpensive (generally at in-country rates) when you use a service like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SkypeOut</span> that lets you place your call on a computer but reach someone directly on their cell phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>The big advantage of using an Internet based system is the low cost, and the ability to do video. The disadvantage is that you need a computer (although many cell phones can act as the computer in this case) and Internet access. The Internet access factor is a negative if you're going someplace that has cell phone service but no Internet connection (a situation I frequently find myself in) but it can be a positive if you're someplace with Internet access but no cell phone reception. I'm told that some upscale, remote resorts fall into the later category. I wouldn't know.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Using <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Internet</span> based telephony is a little bit like having a free <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">land line</span> wherever you're staying (assuming, again, that you have reliable high-speed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Internet</span> access). But it won't help if you're on the train, trying to tell someone to come pick you up <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">today</span> instead of tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div><div>One other issue with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Skype</span>. While I'm ambivalent about having a cell phone with me when I travel I'm horrified by the idea of having a computer. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Internet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">addict</span> would hate to be sitting by the seaside in Italy scanning the front page of the New York Times.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's worth noting that even if you use a cell phone solution, you can always use Internet calling on those occasions that you do have access to a computer and Internet connection.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Use Your US Phone Overseas</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly, most US phones use a different technology (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">CDMA</span>) than most of the rest of the world (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">GSM</span>). If you're a subscriber to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">TMobile</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ATT</span> (which use the worldwide <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">GSM</span> system), you can use your phone overseas, although you'll need to get an additional service plan. I'm a Verizon subscriber, so I'm out of luck.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">World Phone and SIM Cards</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Since <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">GSM</span> cell phone technology is used throughout most of the world, if you buy a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">GSM</span> phone you will be able to use it in most countries. You can even use it in the US, roaming on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ATT</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">TMobile</span> networks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike standard US cell phones which are tied to a single provider's network, with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">GSM</span> phones, much of the important logic governing who your service provider is and what number your phone is attached to is stored on a removable card, called a SIM card, in the phone. If your phone is "unlocked" then you are able to freely change the SIM card at any time.</div><div><br /></div><div>This means that changing phone plans is as easy as swapping in a different card. Since unlocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">GSM</span> phones can cost as little as $20 or $30 and the same for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">pre</span>-paid SIM card, this gives you a lot of flexibility. But it leaves you with a decision — what's the best card, or combination of cards, to use for overseas travel.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll post more on that question in my next blog.</div></div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-7848586304338867972009-03-22T17:01:00.000-07:002009-03-29T20:00:05.507-07:00Hidden America — Great Sand Dunes National Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp7r0JANwGUOurhnQ_pHH6una-LGZI6aSZZU3Pw0H04YIsIV3-u-6dKQvcFVtiYM0TK63l9seuEkstSfV-7nUgbuVzh9CzzQOoHrJjglyTdoC-v10NLZ7CnytuOiy6prNxoZzWN-xo7ju/s1600-h/P1030464.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp7r0JANwGUOurhnQ_pHH6una-LGZI6aSZZU3Pw0H04YIsIV3-u-6dKQvcFVtiYM0TK63l9seuEkstSfV-7nUgbuVzh9CzzQOoHrJjglyTdoC-v10NLZ7CnytuOiy6prNxoZzWN-xo7ju/s320/P1030464.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318808548040526402" /></a><br />Great Sand Dunes is one of America's least known National Parks. It contains the highest sand dunes anywhere in North America. It takes about an hour to hike to the first high point in the dunes (700 feet above the base, which is already at an elevation of 8,000 feet) and from there, if you want, you can hike for miles into the dune field.<div><br /></div><div>The park isn't really convenient to anywhere, but the closest town is Alamosa, Colorado. The campground in the park rarely fills up and there are ranger programs most nights.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to a half day spent on the dunes, the park encompasses some prime Sangre de Christo range wilderness areas.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been to Great Sand Dunes three or four times over the years. I never get tired of it.</div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-69930922010714042222007-08-09T21:51:00.000-07:002007-08-11T22:58:40.000-07:00Who You Calling "Mister", Bozo?I don't stay in youth hostels often these days. Been there, done that. Especially with a family there are usually cheaper, more comfortable accomodations available. Besides, I snore like on oncoming freight train and there's an issue of fairness here. Still the best deal I could find at short notice for our overnight in Portland was at the Portland Northwest Hostel (I did find a slightly cheaper place but the six reviews I found online were all negative and the most generous began "Never having stayed in a crackhouse before. . .")<br /><br />So yes, I'm over youth hostels. But that <span style="font-style: italic;">does not mean</span> that it is okay for the first guy I see to say "Can I help you with that bag, sir?" That's not okay. Even if I <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> having a little trouble manoevering that 53 pound of camping gear up the stairs.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-19994174706903025662007-08-09T20:30:00.000-07:002007-08-11T23:01:54.239-07:00You Know You're In Portland. . .when you disembark from the airplane and the first thing you see in the terminal is three guys with watch caps and skateboards.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-42204485904765673262007-08-09T20:00:00.000-07:002007-08-11T22:50:54.423-07:00Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: How Not To Start A Blog.It's probably not the best idea to start your new blog the week before you leav on a three week vacation, even if it <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> a travel blog. Here I am in Oregon, facing several weeks of extremely sporadic internet access, as well as very little interest in blogging. I resent having to have a cell phone with me when I'm travelling, let alone checking email and the like.<br /><br />The only good news is that since no one but me is reading the blog there's no one to get disappointed by lack of new posts.<br /><br />It strikes me that a useful blogging feature would be the ability to "stack up" a bunch of posts in advance and have them publish themselves one per day.<br /><br />Our trip will take us to Oregon, then down the California coast (camping on the way) to San Francisco. From San Francisco we go by overnight train to Albuquerque where we'll rent another car and join my parents for a few days of mushroom picking in the Rockies. Because we have two flights, two car rentals, and a change of trains from San Francisco to Albuquerque the trip really does qualify as "planes, trains, and automobiles".Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-8755253465619757452007-08-05T20:26:00.000-07:002007-08-05T20:39:37.450-07:00Always Procrastinate.I really felt that I had learned my lesson about eight years ago when my wife and I, after waiting until the week before Christmas, got excellent fares on Swiss Air for a ten day trip to Spain. The lesson? Always procrastinate; do not buy today that ticket which you could buy instead tomorrow.<br /><br />Last Tuesday night, I spent the hours from 11pm to to 2am with several browser windows open to kayak.com and Orbitz, on the basis that airlines generally release unsold seats in lower-fare classes between midnight and 1am on Wednesday morning (in their local timezone). During that period the price didn't budge, and I finally booked four flights for our upcoming vacation at $468 each.<br /><br />This morning, almost identical flights were available on Northwest for $380. True, Northwest is running out of pilot hours at the end of each month which might have cast doubt on our August 27th return flight, but still!Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-32943334970839647992007-08-04T14:52:00.000-07:002007-08-04T15:08:00.055-07:00If This Is Tuesday At 5pm, It Must Be ItalyThe <a href="http://nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/">Travel Section</a> is running a piece titled <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/travel/05hours.html?ref=travel">36 Hours In The Cinque Terre, Italy</a>.<br /><br />Excuse me? 36 hours?<br /><br />The 36 Hours series traditionally features cities in which you might reasonably find yourself with an overnight change-of-plane, or perhaps a weekend stuck on to the end of a business trip. But the Cinque Terre? You have to go out of you way to get there. Who's going to go for 36 hours? And doesn't that kind of negate the entire idea of visiting Italy? Has the Times never heard of <span style="font-style: italic;">dolce far niente</span>?<br /><br />The actual article is pretty good, packing a lot into a two day itinerary. But still, talk about unclear on the concept!Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-27313768192024396672007-08-04T07:47:00.000-07:002007-08-04T08:44:43.919-07:00Airlines travel forecast to get heaps worse.<span style="font-size:100%;">A squib in the <a href="http://nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> business section (</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/04/business/04online.html">Passengers Scowl as Airlines Smile</a>) demonstrates that air travel is bad, and is likely to get worse as airlines decide that it isn't really cost effective to care about the quality of their passengers' experiences.<br /><br />How bad has it become? The Times says:<br /></span><blockquote>For the first five months of this year, the on-time arrival rate of the big airlines was 73.5 percent, the lowest in seven years. Complaints about service were up 49 percent from May 2006. This summer, flights are booked at average levels of about 90 percent, a historic high.</blockquote>Notice the substantial deterioration since just last year. The money quote in the article:<br /><blockquote>But from the airlines’ perspective, “having a lot of rankled customers beats having a handful of happy ones,” wrote Tom Van Riper of <span class="bold">Forbes.com</span>.</blockquote>I'm the kind of person who considers the best flight to be the cheapest, and a good flight to be one that gets me and my luggage to the destination. I make heavy use of internet price comparison web sites and generally choose the cheapest fare. While the exigencies of family life now require that I can't necessarily choose the cheapest time of year or day of the week (or even time of day, red-eyes being out of the question) I'm still an exemplar of the marketplace. I help drive prices lower.<br /><br />Of course, at the same time I'm helping to drive down the quality of air travel, which hurts me and everyone else to some extent. Look at that 73% on-time figure. Coupled with the fact that most flights (especially the cheaper ones) now require a change of plane at the airline's hub, the chance of a missed connection is increased. And the high booking level makes it much harder to hop on another plane an hour later. The result? This spring on a family trip to Puerto Rico we missed a connection in Charlotte (the first time it's every happened to me) and weren't able to get another plane until the next morning -- delaying our arrival almost an entire day and cutting down our time on the island of Culebra from four to three days.<br /><br />Unfortunately, in the perfect marketplace of the web, I don't see things improving anytime soon.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-29263855200462568982007-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:002007-08-02T20:12:15.200-07:00Travel Buddha I<span>I said</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> "Oh Travel Buddha, I've learned that possessions are only encumbrances. The true traveler knows he will find anything he needs along the way. On my next trip I'll do nothing but tuck my toothbrush in my pocket on my way to the airport."<br /><br /></span><span>The Travel Buddha sat still.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> "Why take the toothbrush?"</span> he asked.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-81384139288461270322007-08-01T20:02:00.000-07:002007-08-01T20:52:20.106-07:00New Travel Camera.We're going on vacation in a week and I needed a new digital camera since the old one is broken.<br /><br />Previously we used a Casio Exilim seven megapixel camera. I liked everything about this camera except for the extreme fragility of the lens mechanism, which frequently jammed and finally gave out altogether -- a failing this line is apparently well known for. I thought for a while to replace it with a new Casio model that features a longer zoom (7x rather than 3x) using a lens mechanism entirely inside the camera (there's no protruding lens at all).<br /><br />In then end I settled on the Panasonic Lumix TZ3, which was somewhat cheaper and offers a 10x zoom, a shorter lens at the wide-angle end (the equivalent of a 28mm lens on a traditional camera) and a larger 3 inch screen. The camera itself is slightly larger than the Casio and the battery life is somewhat less. In addition, the video recording is considerably less compressed than on the Casio, meaning that a 1GB card will hold 10 minutes (as opposed to the Casio's 30 minutes) of high quality video.<br /><br />I took the camera along on our weekend trip to visit my parents on the East End of Long Island this past weekend. Here is a picture of my daughters skipping off towards their breakfast treat at Pat's Farm Stand in Amagansett. The only change I made from the "snapshot" settings on the camera was to set the color profile to "vivid" in order to mimic the high color saturation I was used to from the Casio.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.google.com/larrylustig/RrFMy8aXWGI/AAAAAAAAAU4/v3mscWix-cU/P1000068.JPG?imgmax=800"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 640px;" src="http://lh4.google.com/larrylustig/RrFMy8aXWGI/AAAAAAAAAU4/v3mscWix-cU/P1000068.JPG?imgmax=800" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And here is another image I took, using flash, of some chanterelles we collected by the side of the road (which road, I'm not saying).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiA4qcgXMfMd8DA3b7h-zoo5wuSXa44sazz7bU5XyBBV2l8HVdMOC3M63S31vmx7Uw5SYwOXUlDH-qnpzGWHp4RB3KIyReCCddy7n8yMOSTs2toYXt1WjhfGVygFMgnSNymV8lPU4naCl/s1600-h/P1000086.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiA4qcgXMfMd8DA3b7h-zoo5wuSXa44sazz7bU5XyBBV2l8HVdMOC3M63S31vmx7Uw5SYwOXUlDH-qnpzGWHp4RB3KIyReCCddy7n8yMOSTs2toYXt1WjhfGVygFMgnSNymV8lPU4naCl/s320/P1000086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093943740235995266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Your digital photography tips (especially related to travel) are appreciated!Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407993161332593648.post-41151499019278465442007-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:002007-08-02T20:18:14.792-07:00Welcome to Notes on Travel. Let's talk about ME!Welcome to Notes On Travel, which is intended to cover both my own family travels and other travel issues. My hope is that this will become a meeting place for travelers to swap stories and information.<br /><br />I'm a forty-five year old husband and father of two daughters (six and eight years old) who doesn't get to travel as much as I did previously and would like to today. This blog is in part therapy for that part of me that would really rather be on the road.<br /><br />Two things I dislike about travel writing (not to suggest that this blog rises to the level of travel writing in any real sense): not being told what things cost and not having enough information about the author. So I'll use this post to introduce my self -- or, rather, my travel-self.<br /><br />My first trip was at six months when my family spent a year in Ireland while my dad was on a Fullbright exchange. From the age of eight to eleven we lived in Paris while my father directed solar energy programs for UNESCO (an agency of the United Nations). We traveled widely in Europe, while my dad traveled even more widely to Africa, Asia, and other places in which UNESCO was sponsoring projects.<br /><br />My independent travel career began after college when I did a work exchange program in England and then spent five months hitchhiking around Europe -- from Greece and Turkey up to northern Denmark and down to Italy. I did the entire five months on about $2,000 -- or $400 a month!<br /><br />Throughout the 1980s I traveled frequently on shorter trips, alone or with travel buddies or my girlfriend (still my girlfriend but now also my wife). I did a lot of courier flights, once leaving for Germany with five hours notices and once even flying the Concord.<br /><br />In 1991 my girlfriend and I "checked out" of our jobs and settled lives and spent 5 months on a cross-country trip followed by 14 months in Asia and the South Pacific -- Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. On our return (we settled in Brooklyn, New York) I started a backpacker van line called the East Coast Explorer connecting New York, Boston, and Washington DC. I ran that for five years but although it was a fantastic experience as a business it was a flop. I managed to sell out to a national competitor that was just starting up (they lasted less than one season).<br /><br />After closing up the East Coast Explorer I returned to my previous work as a freelance computer programmer. We had our two daughters and moved to a brownstone in Harlem. And here you find me now. The computer business can't hold a candle to driving backpackers around the Amish country in terms of fun, but as a living it has a lot to be said for it. Unfortunately it, and exigencies of family life (by which I mean the school vacation schedule) mean that we're lucky if we get to make two trips a year.<br /><br />I've always been a budget traveler and a backpacker. I remember back in the glory days of rec.travel (an old-style internet travel site, before even Web 1.0!) a conversation between to people about the merits of the Plaza and St. Pierre hotels in New York -- two hotels that, even then, were in the $500 a night range. My contribution was<br /><blockquote>I don't have anything to say about the two hotels you're discussing, but it strikes me that one of the benefits of never spending more than $20 a night for a place to stay is that it's almost impossible to be disappointed.<br /></blockquote>I still largely feel that way, but at the same time I've definitely outgrown youth hostels. That's probably a good thing considering I snore like an oncoming train. On a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico a year ago I found myself happily spending $60 a night for rooms in some very cool hotels. On the other hand, having to pay $150 a night in Puerto Rico earlier this year was definitely a bummer! So my present travel orientation is what I'd call the "grown-up budget" level and my posts here will reflect that.<br /><br />Thanks for visiting my blog. Please use the comments to introduce yourself.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908950468831976176noreply@blogger.com3