Taking off Travel blog

Now that the pranks are out of the way, it’s time to consider what April is all about. Just in case Valentine’s Day didn’t give you enough time to focus on your significant other, there’s no excuse in April because it’s Couples Appreciation Month. It was originally founded by romantic proposal company Blissful Escapes ‘to encourage couples to do something special to reinforce and celebrate their relationship’. The celebration seems to have outlasted as it’s still around while the new Blissful Escapes focuses on spa breaks.

Celebration Ideas

So, how could you celebrate this month with your spouse or partner? Think of it as a month-long romantic idyll, where you could:

• take the time to notice, appreciate and acknowledge what your partner does.
• write a list of your spouse’s best qualities and then share it.
• avoid going to bed mad.
• have a special meal together – or two, or three.
• organize a date night and get away from the usual family obligations.
• plan a staycation.

Also consider one of these unique Valentine’s Day celebration ideas.

Movie Inspiration

Even better, you could take inspiration from some of the great romantic screen couples, such as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. A movie featuring one of these couples would be the perfect way to celebrate Couples Appreciation Month.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out 101 Ways To Tell Your Husband, “I Love You” and 101 Ways To Tell Your Wife, “I Love You”. See? Now there’s no excuse! How will you celebrate Couples Appreciation Month?

Image credit: mozzercork

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I’ve been watching reruns of Hotel Babylon, the British TV series based on a book by Imogen Edwards-Jones. (If you’re interested, it’s been shown in the past on BBC America.) The book featured true stories from inside the hotel industry, recounted on the promise of strict anonymity – and it makes gripping reading. I’ve known my fair share of hotel insiders too and have picked up some useful tips. Here are a few of them.

On the Menu

When it comes to picking food from the restaurant menu, never pick stew. Whether it’s called goulash, hash, mulligan, melange, potpourri, medley or plain old stew, the name is often hotel speak for ‘all the food we couldn’t get rid of last night’. In fact, sometimes it’s older than that. The trouble with stew is that unless you make it yourself you don’t really know what’s in it and you don’t know how long it’s been there so when you’re staying at a hotel keep it off your personal menu.

Ban the MiniBar

Several years ago, before I became a savvy traveler, I visited a friend at an excellent hotel in London. While we were there we dipped into the minibar and helped ourselves to some delicious tins of cashews. Of course, when the bill came, we got a shock, because those cashews cost about 5 times what they would have at the corner store. They might have been delicious, but they weren’t worth it. Minibars are not little fridges stuffed full of delicacies you can’t leave – they are money makers for the hotel. Go to the store and bring your treats in yourself – you’ll pay a fraction of the price. Read more »

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April Fool’s Day (also known as All Fools Day) is a perennial favorite April celebration, with the emphasis on pure fun. We’ve been celebrating it annually for more than 300 years (since 1700 if you can believe some reports) but some speculate that its origins go back even further. One story is that when France changed to the Gregorian calendar (from the Julian calendar) in 1582, some people continued to celebrate the start of the year at the end of March and beginning of April, forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that New Year’s Day was now January 1st. They became the butt of jokes and were known as April Fools.

An April Fool's prank by Sporting Index

Alternative Origins of April Fool’s Day Read more »

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Spring is definitely in the air now. We’re all looking forward to longer, warmer days and some places are having an unseasonal heat wave – lucky people! Here are some of the celebrations and observances to look forward to in April.

April 2012 Celebrations

Easter

In some parts of the world, the big celebration this month is Easter, with observances starting (mostly in churches) on Holy Thursday on April 5, and ramping up through Good Friday on the 6th, Easter Sunday on the 7th and Easter Monday on the 8th. In those countries, it’s a four day weekend while in some parts of the US, Good Friday is a holiday, making it a three day weekend. We’ll be looking at Easter celebrations in more detail next week.

Earth Day

Nearer the end of the month, on April 22nd, it’s Earth Day – a day when we keep the environment in mind and try to be just a little bit greener. One easy way to do that is to avoid using paper when you can get information by email – the trees will thank you. Read more »

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Why limit yourself? You won’t just find amazing road trips within the lower 48 states. Grab some plane tickets, get a rental car and start adventuring with these five road trips – from Vietnam to Italy – to take before you die.

Hai Van Pass, Vietnam

Courtesy *etoile

The Hai Van Pass, a 13-mile (21-kilometer) stretch in Vietnam acts a boundary between the north and south portions of the country. Fortifications built by the French are scattered along the way, and the BBC television show “Top Gear” called it “a deserted ribbon of perfection – one of the best coast roads in the world.”

Seward, AK to Denali National Park

Courtesy Unhindered by Talent

Seward Highway often shows up in lists of great American road trips, and it’s easy to see why. Start out in the small town of Seward (population 3,000) and take in the scenery as you drive 127-miles (204-kilometers) north to Alaska’s largest city, where you can rest up in a variety of Anchorage hotels. That also brings you to the end of Seward Highway, but if you continue north to George Parks Highway, you’ll eventually find your way into Denali National Park. Here you’ll encounter the highest peak in North America: Mount McKinley. Read more »

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