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Deepest, Tallest, Largest: Record-Setting Destinations

December 21, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

As the popularity of the Guinness World Records book series demonstrates, people are pretty fascinated with “–ests”: smallest, fastest, oldest, tallest, biggest. And one way to experience the best “–ests” in the country is to incorporate them into your road trip. A difficulty, however, is narrowing down among the surprisingly large number of record-setting sites one can visit.

Deepest. If asked what the country’s deepest canyon or river gorge is, most Americans probably guess the Grand Canyon (after all, look at its name). In fact, however, America’s deepest river gorge is Hell’s Canyon, which runs between Oregon and Idaho. A gorgeous National Recreation Area, Hell’s Canyon is well over a mile deep and encompasses over 650,000 acres.

The more adventurous travelers should put on their spelunking shoes and head to Mammoth Cave in south central Kentucky. This massive cave system boasts the longest stretch of caverns, which covers nearly 400 miles of explored terrain.

Tallest. In the tallest category, options abound; how about tallest tree—and not just in the U.S. but also in the whole world? A 379.1-foot-tall redwood tree in a remote area of northern California’s Redwood National Park is the current record holder. Although its exact location is kept secret, sightseers can see redwoods nearly as tall along the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile drive that runs parallel to Highway 101, about five hours north of San Francisco.

If big trees aren’t so much your thing, consider checking out record-setting man-made structures. For example, the tallest building in the U.S. is Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, at 1,450 feet. In a few years, though, you’ll have another destination for this category when the 1,776-foot tower for One World Trade Center in New York City is completed. Or how about the tallest memorial structure in U.S., St. Louis, Missouri’s Gateway Arch? Located on the Mississippi riverfront, its tapered curve peaks at 630 feet. Enclosed trams take visitors to the top for spectacular views of the river and the city.

Largest. Largest meteor impact crater in the United States? Beaverhead Impact Structure. Although there’s not so much to see anymore, the original crater, formed roughly 900 million years ago, was about 65 miles in diameter. For a more eye-popping example of close encounters of the meteoric kind, you can check out Barringer Meteorite Crater near Winslow, Arizona, just a few hours northeast of Phoenix. This relative young ‘un—the result of an impact a mere 50,000 years ago—is nearly a mile wide, and 570 feet deep.

For an experience off the beaten path, how about stopping for a soda (or taxidermy service) at Fanning 66 Outpost on your way down I-44 between St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, to take a gander at the World’s Largest Rocking Chair? Or if you’re looking for something to make a great snapshot during your visit to Seattle, skip the Space Needle and instead head to the Georgetown neighborhood to be immortalized in front of the world’s biggest cowboy hat and pair of boots—the “Hat ‘n’ Boots,” as it’s officially named—built as part of a 1955 gas station.

The categories above are just samples of “–est” destinations from which travelers can choose. Flip them around for more examples, like the shortest covered bridge or smallest post office, or create your own.  Of course, if you want to find the best hotels, then you've got nearly 700 destinations to choose from.   Every Extended Stay Hotels location features comfortable, convenient hotel rooms at exceptional rates.  

20% off Holiday Weekends - Extended Stay Hotels

December 21, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 12/24/2010 through 12/26/2010) and next weekend (stays 12/31/2010 through 01/02/2011) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here.  From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas and many others.

For Arrival Dates 12/24/2010 and 12/25/2010

* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $39.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $36.99/night
* Las Vegas, NV - Rates from $43.99/night
* Dallas, TX - Rates from $27.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >

For Arrival Dates 12/31/2010 and 01/01/2011

* Phoenix, AZ - Rates from $26.99/night
* Fort Lauderdale, FL - Rates from $51.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Houston, TX - Rates from $29.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >

Gift Giving on the Go

December 17, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

It’s that time of year again—when your packing is complicated by the gifts you’re taking along to give friends and family. Whether you’re traveling with gifts to give an important client or need to bring an entire sleigh-load of presents for a family gathering, there are some ways to make the whole gift-schlepping process easier.

First up is to consider whether it would actually pay—both in terms of convenience and cost—to simply mail gifts to their final destination. When you factor in checking an extra bag on most airlines, sending the gifts via the Post Office or UPS might make sense. The flat rate boxes offered by the U.S. Post Office promise two-day delivery in most cases, and they range from about the size of a paperback novel ($5) to one foot square by 5 ½ inches deep ($14.50), large enough to fit a good bit. The boxes come flat, so you can even tuck a couple into your bag before leaving on that business trip, just in case you do pick up the perfect San Francisco Giants or Manhattan skyline t-shirt to surprise someone with.

Of course the other option is to choose gifts that simply don’t involve any shipping or schlepping on your part. Anything you might want to give, from books to travel gadgets, gourmet food to gift certificates, you can order online and ship, generally with a personalized card included.

But what if that computer-personalized gift card just won’t cut it? Here’s where a bit of preparation can allow you to bring along very individualized gifts without weighing down your luggage or on your wallet.

  1. Wine Gifts: bring along a few elegant fabric wine bags, and buy the wine once you’ve arrived. If you’re flying into a major airport, you can often find good deals at duty-free shops. Incidentally, gift bags of all sorts are easy to make, light to pack, and relatively inexpensive.

  2. Personalized Gift Certificates: easy to make on a home computer, a custom gift certificate is a unique option that can be personalized for the recipient. Visiting grown kids and grandchildren? Young parents will be thrilled with a collection of relaxation certificates they can redeem during your visit: one night’s babysitting, breakfast in bed, that favorite home-cooked dinner. Even something as apparently uninspiring as a coupon for a last-day-of-visit total bathroom cleaning is a welcome gift to the tired hosts.

    Kids on your list? How about making them a gift certificate for a homegrown book-of-the-month or (if they’re teens) app-of-the-month club? Large chain bookstores often ship free, or if you’d rather support your local independent bookstore, you can ship printed material very inexpensively using the USPS’s media rate. Yes, this gift does mean you’ll need to keep up with the child’s interests and select an item each month, but hey—isn’t that exactly what “personal” is all about?

  3. Philanthropic Gifts: this season can also be a good time to introduce philanthropic gifts. Through Heifer International, for example, you can provide an impoverished family with a flock of chickens ($20) or a hive of bees ($30) to help them feed and sustain themselves. Best of all, you can give these gifts in someone else’s honor, and Heifer International will send an e-card or let you print out a card to send the recipient.

Traveling with gifts doesn’t need to be an ordeal. Prepare a strategy using the tips above and you’ll have more time to enjoy gift-giving this holiday season.

Save Big - Weekends from $24.99/night at Select Extended Stay Hotels

December 14, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 12/17 through 12/19) and next weekend (stays 12/24 through 12/26) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here.  From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando, Chicago, Houston and many others.

For Arrival Dates 12/17/2010 and 12/18/2010

* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $39.99/night
* Denver, CO - Rates from $31.99/night
* Orlando, FL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $39.99/night
* Houston, TX - Rates from $29.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $31.99/night
* See all locations >

For Arrival Dates 12/24/2010 and 12/25/2010

* Phoenix, AZ - Rates from $24.99/night
* San Jose, CA - Rates from $39.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Miami, FL - Rates from $59.99/night
* Dallas, TX - Rates from $27.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >

Food Packing Tips

December 13, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

All over the Internet you can find advice articles on eating more healthily while traveling, particularly during air travel. But while what to eat and pack is pretty well covered, advice on how to pack and eat is harder to come by. So here are some tips for coping with the major obstacles and minor irritants related to carrying food on the go.

Helping your food travel better
What containers you choose makes a huge difference. When using plastic storage bags, opt for the heavy-duty freezer bags with actual zippers. They are far sturdier and, even more important for all those times you’re juggling a bunch of things, far easier to open, close, and burp (squeeze out the extra air). We suggest always double-bagging, even for dry food. That way you’re almost guaranteed to still have functional plastic bags for your return trip. But sometimes, plastic bags are not the best choice. How many times have you dumped that nice, healthy banana you brought because it’s gotten too bruised? BPA-free plastic containers protect vulnerable fruit like apples and bananas.

Another key issue with bringing food along is keeping it cold. Ebags carries over 200 insulated bags, most in the $15-$50 range, both soft and hard-sided. TSA regulations do prohibit ice pouches (unless frozen totally solid), but what you can do is make your own inexpensive, disposable ice pouches to keep in place until the minute you go through the security checkpoint. And, of course, if you are road-tripping, you’ll be able to re-use them throughout your trip if you stay at hotels that have refrigerators with actual freezers. Make disposable ice pouches by filling a freezer bag ¾ full with liquid dish soap (or with 3 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol). Burp out air before closing, double-bag and freeze. Voila!

With the food itself, be sure to avoid bringing things that spoil more rapidly. If you’re bringing sandwiches, consider peanut butter, cheeses and smoked meats that keep longer. Instead of adding condiments, which can easily spoil and also make a sandwich soggy, carry along some of those small packets you get at fast-food restaurants. And consider choosing bagels or other dense, chewy bread that freezes well. Slice and freeze the bread the night before, then make your sandwich on the frozen bread, which will serve as an ice pack (though it thaws much more quickly).

Making your on-the-road food more palatable
Dry seasonings like a flavorful salt substitute (ie: Mrs. Dash’s Caribbean Citrus blend) can help even that iceberg lettuce salad you grabbed on the way to your gate. And let’s face it, airline coffee tends to leave something (or a lot of somethings) to be desired. But by bringing along a small bottle of cinnamon, flavored creamer or just vanilla extract (be sure to place this bottle in your quart zip bag for going through security) you can make that mediocre cup of joe a bit tastier.

Easing the eating process
How often have you broken one of those thin plastic knives trying to spread your cream cheese or peanut butter? Invest in a box of heavy-duty plastic cutlery, tuck a few in your bag (it’s TSA acceptable for carryon), and no more cursing. To ensure you don’t arrive at your destination looking like you’ve not yet mastered the art of feeding yourself, take a damp microfiber washcloth (in a plastic bag) to mop up dribbles on your tie without leaving behind the white flakes you get with paper towels and babywipes. And last but not least, carry a few floss picks. After all, who wants to realize at the end of the day that they’ve been greeting clients and colleagues with a shred of romaine trailing across two front teeth?

Seven Stocking Stuffers for Road Warriors

December 10, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Most of us have a road warrior or two on our holiday gift list, and while luggage and laptops make wonderful gifts, they’re too expensive and too big to fit into a stocking. So what can the budget-conscious but thoughtful gift-giver tuck into the stocking of a frequent traveler?

  • Travel apps. The first one is kind of a cheat – a cyber stocking stuffer. Apple makes giving these especially easy with their Gift This App feature, which also simplifies refunds if you inadvertently give someone an app they already have (or don’t like). We’ve covered many of the hottest smartphone apps in recent months, so if you’d like some more specific ideas, check our posts from 10/26/10, 9/13/10, 8/12/10 and 4/30/10.
  • Replacement earbud sleeves. There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all earbuds. Some sets come with foam sleeves or tips of varying sizes to accommodate different ears, but many don’t. And then there’s the ick factor of repeatedly inserting and removing something from your ear canal. Fortunately, Scan Sound sells replacement rubber tips in three sizes that fit most earbuds for under $10/set.
  • Global atomic clock. Sure, our cell phones tell time and have alarms and most rooms have alarm clocks to help you wake up for an early flight or morning meeting. But some of us just sleep better when we have an alarm clock we trust on the nightstand. Global atomic clocks automatically adjust to whatever time zone you’re in, so you can rest easy. Magellan’s has a spiffy little number in red (or black or silver). At 4” x 2 ½” it’s big enough to see without your contacts but slender and light enough to stash in your carryon. Added bonus: Its velour travel pouch means you don’t even need to wrap it for gift giving!
  • Smartwool socks. Yeah, we know—socks are right up there with ties for boring and predictable gifts. On the other hand, everyone needs socks, and not all socks are created equal. Smartwool’s products are machine washable and non-itchy, even to the most sensitive skin. The choices range from lightweight dress to heavy hiking and skiing styles, and within each category are choices not only in terms of color and pattern but also in amount of built-in cushioning and cuff height.
  • Pack-in-a-pouch rain poncho.Only total dweebswould wear a plastic poncho, you say? Well, in most cases we might agree. But how classy is the dripping and bedraggled look (and smell, if you’re wearing a wool coat)? Le Travel Store’s coated nylon poncho folds into a 6.75” x 5” x 1.25” pouch, easy to keep tucked (hidden) in your briefcase, to pull out when that unexpected downpour complete with gusting winds makes your umbrella a non-starter. At about $30, think of it as travel insurance: not pretty but useful in an emergency.
  • Inflatable neck rest. Maybe the inflatable versions are a smidge less comfy than the bead or foam neck rests, but lugging those stuffed cushions is a major pain. We vote for Eagle Creek’s Compact Comfort Travel Pillow. Costing around $20, it inflates and deflates quickly and has a removable, washable micro-fleece cover.

Barbecue: What, How and Where

December 6, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Although the word is perhaps most frequently used as an adjective (“barbecued chicken”) or a verb (“He fired up the grill and barbecued some steaks”), among those in the know, “barbecue” is first and foremost a noun, as in “Let’s go get some barbecue!”

As Claire Suddath notes in her Time Magazine article “A Brief History of Barbecue” (yes, barbecue has its own historians), “The real thing is cooked over indirect heat—usually a wood fire—for a really long time (sometimes for as many as 18 hours). The resulting flavor is a combination of smoke, meat juices, fat and whatever spices or rub have been added.” In this process, barbecue efficiently processes large amounts of meat (e.g., pit-cooking a whole hog, or a “pig pickin’” to Carolinians) and makes the less expensive cuts of meat tender, which historically made barbecue a natural for feeding families and big groups with minimal expense and effort.

One of the things that makes barbecue a great focus for travelers is the regional variation in cooking styles and in meat preference, with distinct differences even within a single state’s traditional cuisine. Most Americans think of barbecue marinade and sauce being red with a tomato base. However, traditional northeastern North Carolina’s whole hog barbecue contains no tomato at all, but is clear and vinegar-based, while the Piedmont region includes tomato with the vinegar. And in South Carolina’s Midlands area, you’ll find pork shoulder and ribs traditionally smoked over pecan wood with mustard-based “Carolina Gold” sauce.

Move further around the country, and you’ll find distinct traditional styles associated with Texas, Kansas City and Memphis—and we’re not even counting the further variations that have developed over the past fifty years. The good news for travelers is that given the nomadic character of Americans, these various barbecue styles have been carried all over the country. So barbecue fans can count not only on finding “real” Texas pit-barbecue brisket in Southern California or Chicago but also on finding exciting new takes on barbecue just about anywhere they travel.

And don’t worry—we won’t leave you hanging without recommendations, though selecting among the thousands of highly touted barbecue spots across the country is tough. But here are just a few that consistently get rave reviews: In Kansas City, it’s Oklahoma Joe’s, which according to Vanity Fair (August 2010) serves one of the best barbecues in the country.

Along what’s called the Texas Barbecue Trail, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor (about an hour out of Austin) has gotten enthusiastic reviews from customers for decades and was featured by the Food Network. Similarly, Memphis’ Bar-B-Q Shop has been serving their award-winning “Dancing Pigs” sauce with pit-cooked barbecue to customers for over 50 years.

Most classic barbecue joints give very generous portions, so it’s wise to check with your server to see about sharing an order with a friend. Better yet, if you’re staying in a hotel with a real kitchen, order away. Barbecue is definitely one of those even-better-the-next-day foods. You can best preserve the meat’s flavor and texture when you slowly re-warm it on a stove or in an oven, rather than just nuke it in a microwave.

One last note: If this has inspired you to engage in some serious comparison tasting, you may want to consider taking in one of the over 500 (!) competitive barbecue events held all across the U.S. throughout the year.

Save 20% on Weekend Stays - Select Extended Stay Hotels

December 1, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 12/03 through 12/05) and next weekend (stays 12/10 through 12/12) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here.  From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and many others.

For Arrival Dates 12/03/2010 and 12/04/2010

* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $39.99/night
* Orlando, FL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $39.99/night
* Dallas, TX - Rates from $27.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >

For Arrival Dates 12/10/2010 and 12/11/2010

* Denver, CO - Rates from $31.99/night
* Hartford, CT - Rates from $47.99/night
* Tampa, FL - Rates from $39.99/night
* Portland, OR - Rates from $38.99/night
* Nashville, TN - Rates from $31.99/night
* Austin, TX - Rates from $27.99/night
* See all locations >

Not Your Usual Winter Getaway

December 1, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Okay, so it’s time to plan a winter vacation, but the problem is that you don’t really feel like doing the snowbird nor snowboard thing. Come January and February, some of us certainly would like more warmth; others are fine with staying in or traveling to cool (even outright cold) climates, but we all want something new and interesting to do. So let’s talk options—from architecture to ice sculpture, food to cars, dogs to groundhogs.

If warmth is on your agenda, you probably can’t do better than Miami where winter high temperatures average in the mid-to-upper 70s. The beaches, understandably, are crowded then with Northeasterners and Midwesterners fleeing snowdrifts, which is all the more reason to reject the beach scene and instead take in the annual Art Deco Festival, this year January 14th-16th, or February’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival (24th-27th), put on by the Food Network. The non-profit Miami Design Preservation League sponsors the January Deco weekend, which includes guided tours, films, performances and a street fair in the historic Art Deco section of Miami South Beach. If your vacation time is a month later (or you’re looking for something to sweeten that late February business trip to Miami), take in the shows, eats and drinks presented by such celebrity chefs as Emeril, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart at a variety of venues in South Beach.

At the other end of the temperature gauge is Detroit, and if winter ice seems like something you’d want to avoid, think again. Just outside Detroit is the biggest and oldest ice-carving festival in the country. From January 21st-23rd, the Plymouth Ice Festival draws more than one hundred ice artists to create amazing ice sculptures, as well as put on demonstrations and conduct seminars. And for those who may find that a bit tame, the festival includes various entertainments ranging from family shows to a Dueling Chainsaws Speed Carving Show. And if you’d rather spend some of your Detroit time indoors (or if ice sculptures and chainsaw duels aren’t your thing), head on into downtown Detroit to the Cobo Center where you can check out the latest innovations in cars at the North American International Auto Show January 15th-23rd.

Ratherspend time with something warm and fuzzy? Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is in New York City February 14th-15th. Be forewarned, though, that while the competition is fascinating, tickets are very pricey (over $100) and sometimes tough to get. However, general admission tickets (under $50 and half that for kids) get you into the real action in the grooming and preparation areas, where you can get up close and personal with hundreds of breeds and their owners and trainers, to catch a real-life version of the 2000 mockumentary, Best in Show.

Another warm and fuzzy winter adventure—well, okay, snowy and cold, but there’s a fuzzy creature involved—is to go celebrate Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania with Punxsutawney Phil. There’s actually a three-day festival, January 29th -February 2nd here in the home of (according to Punxsutaweyans) the original weather-predicting groundhog. No matter which of the days you go, this year’s 125th celebration will serve up a wide range of activities and events, from hayrides to kids’ crafts to the Annual Groundhog Banquet (February 1st). And while you can certainly make a whole weekend of it, you can opt for an easy daytrip to Pittsburgh (about 80 miles) for a change of pace.

Of course, there’s certainly nothing wrong with ski trips or sun-and-sand vacations in the winter, but sometimes it can be fun to take a break from even the tried-and-true.