Taking off Travel blog

If you were keeping track, you will have noticed that I skipped last month, mostly because I was dealing with the aftermath of recent trips. This month, though, I’ve got some great posts lined up that should provide plenty of reading material for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. To get things started, have a look at this great video on world air traffic, which I saw on the Matador Network.

Lessons On Location Independence

Lea Woodward gets some lessons from her daughter in 5 Things Our Four Month Old Could Teach You About What It Takes To Become Location Independent. It contains gems such as:

By treating new skills development & learning as a game rather than a serious “must do” to cross off your list, you’re likely to create a far more fun and enriching experience

Nomadic Matt reflects on the experience of being back home, highlighting the enjoyment both of exploring the new and experiencing the familiar. Read more »

We’re on CBS! In a feature on Travel Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving, Travelocity’s Genevieve Shaw Brown suggested booking off airport parking in advance to cut the hassle and recommended ParkRideFlyUSA for this service. Here’s the video:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Many of us try to capture takeoffs and landings as we travel. I often find the plane wing is in the middle of my shot, but there are still some amazing images around. Here are some, courtesy of some great people on Flickr.

Yul Montreal Airport - photo by Caribb

It’s always interesting to see the layout of an airport as you come in to land. It’s perhaps the only time you can appreciate how huge it is.

The Alps - photo by Miguel Angel

I’ve driven through the Alps a few times, but haven’t flown over them, so I enjoyed this bird’s eye view.

Read more »

It’s been just over a year since I officially became a travel blogger here on the Taking Off Travel Blog, the travel blog belonging to off airport parking firm, Park Ride Fly USA. Sure, I’d blogged about travel before and had written travel articles too, but it wasn’t a regular occupation as it is now.

During the year, I have kept an eye on popular posts and comments, thanks to a couple of great analytics tools, and have learned a few things about what the Taking Off Travel Blog readers like.

It Never Hurts To Rant

You might think that when blogging for an organization you would need to keep things meek and mild to avoid offending anyone. But here on TOTB, it’s clear that readers appreciate it when you take a position on an issue of interest. My evidence: Three Travel Trends That Tick Me Off, a post I wrote when I was feeling particularly annoyed about one travel experience.

Keep It Topical

If you can manage to keep your travel blog topical - sometimes a challenge when you update twice a week - then more people will be interested in what you say. My evidence: Would You Work For Free To Save Your Company?, a post on one of British Airways’ schemes to stop money from sliding down the drain. Didn’t quite work, did it? Read more »

One of the travel blogs I’ve been enjoying recently is Sharing Travel Experiences. The recently rebranded site takes a different approach to travel and has some unique features. The site is owned by Andy Hayes, better known as the travel guy who’s active on the Matador Network. (I recently recommended him in Seven More Travel Bloggers You Should Follow On Twitter.)

About Sharing Travel Experiences

Here’s what he says about the site’s name:

“We’re a tight-knit community of people passionate about learning more about the world and exploring it, both from our armchairs and up close in person.”

That community also includes Alex Fayle, Donna and Dee Anne, and there are regular contributions from guest posters.

Search For A Travel Experience

One of the best bits of the site Read more »