Taking off Travel blog

If you are planning a quick get-a-way, or even a long vacation, there are a few things that I don’t want to purchase at the airport.  Not only will you pay sky high prices, but with a little planning, you can save money that you really would rather spend on your holiday.

1. Bottled water – Do you really want to spend $3.00 on a bottle of water?   With a little planning, this is definitely a good way to save money at the airport.  You cannot bring water through security, but you can bring empty water containers such as, water bottles of all sorts.  Either bring an empty water bottle from a previous use, or there are several options on the market for filtered water bottles, collapsible water bottles, or any combination of the above.  Fill your container up at the drinking fountain and you saved three dollars.
2. Bring Your Own Food – Airport food can be very expensive. However, with careful planning you can bring your own food with you.  Due to certain Transportation Security Administration limits liquids and gels must be in containers less than 100 mL, (just over 3 ounces). The phrase “liquids and gels” include peanut butter, jelly, pudding, hummus, applesauce, cream cheese, and other soft food items. The only exceptions are baby food, baby milk, juice for infants, or liquid medicine with a written prescription.  You are also unable to bring icepacks, so carrying cold foods may be difficult on long flights.  Although, this may limit your menu, you can bring along homemade sandwiches, wraps, and salads as long as they meet the requirements. Be sure that they are wraps securely to avoid any mess. Those food items that travel well are both fresh and dried fruits, granola bars, crackers, some raw vegetables, salads, and even instant hot cereal (if you bring a bowl and ask your flight attendant for hot water).
3. Foreign Currency – Please be aware that foreign currency exchanges in the airports normally have the highest transaction fees.  Your best bet is to find an ATM and take your money from there.  Most likely you’ll receive the best interbank exchange rate, however, check with your bank for leaving on your destination and let them know you will be traveling out of the country.  Once while traveling abroad my traveling partner’s funds were frozen as the bank suspected fraud.
4. Reading Material – Always try to bring your reading material with you to the airport. You will not find any discounted rates on magazines or the bestsellers from airport stores.
5. Airport Parking – Parking lot airport can be over crowded and very expensive. Did you know that at all the major airport there are off -airport parking lot? These lots normally have cheaper rates than those rates directly on your foregrounds.  The off airport parking lots shuttle you to terminal, assist you with your luggage, and return you to your car at the end of your trip.  Check out ParkRideFlyUSA.com’s rates for the best deal at your airport.  Purchasing ahead will save you money and you will receive a guaranteed parking space!

These are my top 5 things NOT to purchase at the airport.  I’d love to hear your tips.  Just leave a note in the comments!  Happy traveling!

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A lot of people have a New Year Resolution of losing weight, well combine it with traveling and you can go on a Get Fit Trip.  Why not combine some weight loss with a great traveling adventure?

From “Biggest Loser” type vacations to those that offer more detox and spiritual cleansing, there’s bound to be a Fit Trip that’s right for you. In reviewing some of the Fat Camps out there, if you really want to lose weight in short amount of time, definitely try out on of the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge.  Located in Malibu, CA or Irvens, UT, the week long fitness camp resembles the TV show by the same name.  Guests undergo intense physical training which includes one on one personal training sessions, hiking, water aerobics and other activities.  Calorie restricted meal plans with balance carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats will assist in the weight loss as well as boost up a sluggish metabolism. Reports from previous guests indicate that several pounds were lost during a week long, intense stay.  And, before you go, the spa also has beauty amenities like hair styling, manicures and pedicures to get you all set to show off your new, fab body.

If going to a boot camp for a vacation isn’t your cup of tea, try “Fatpacking.“  If you love hiking and enjoy the outdoors, then this type of vacation may be for you.  Hikers don’t have to be in top physical condition, but should be able to walk several miles carrying a 15 pound pack.  The hikers carry their own food and gear and can eat as much as they wish.  (Of course, you will be exercising it all off!!)  Trips are available year round and are in such locations as Mount Rushmore, Smoky Mountains, Sedona, and the Redwood National Forest. Now really, who wouldn’t enjoy a week long trip hiking through beautiful scenery.  Losing weight is just a bonus!

Looking for a complete lifestyle change?  Check out Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, FL.  A key portion of the treatment at this facility is not just helping clients lose weight, but also how to make these lifestyle changes permanent.  With lifestyle classes, along with cooking, exercise, and yoga classes, the participants normally lose three to four pounds per week.

At the Heartland Spa near Chicago, the focus isn’t only on weight loss, but developing a support system.  Therefore, everything is done in a group setting, eating, classes, physical training.  Guests are also taught how to make the same delicious meals at home to assist in continuing the healthy lifestyle.

From visiting lovely beaches to hiking in the mountains, there is a perfect skinny vacation for everyone.  I’d love to go to any of these great facilities.  How about you?

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New Year – New Year Resolutions.  Every year, I go through this.  Then, I say “bah.”  So, this year, I thought that possibly my resolutions are just too boring.  So, I did some research on what were some of the more popular resolutions.  They are:

• Eat Healthy Food
• More Education
• Get A Better Job
• Lose Weight/Get Fit/Drink Less Alcohol
• Quit Smoking
• Save Money/Pay Off Debt
• Travel

To be honest, those all are great ideas.  I mean, who doesn’t want to be thinner, happier, have a job that pays you great wages (with less stress) as you get a higher degree.  However, my favorite resolution is MORE TRAVEL!

I was a lucky kid.  Our parents would take us on road trips throughout the United States.  Even as an adult, I have been fortunate enough to travel on my own to several states, as well as Canada, Mexico, and a three week stint in India.  So, I decided for my New Year’s Resolution, I will travel more.  I’ve complied a list of the top five spots on my list to see in the United States.

1. Chicago, Illinois – The Windy City.  From the Chicago Art Institute, to the Museum of Science and Industry, to the John Hancock Observatory, Chicago offers a whole “lotta” stuff.  I’ve been to Chicago several times and one of the “must do” things on your list should be an architecture tour via tour boat.  Known for several boat tours, motoring along the Chicago River  past Wrigley Field and other landmark buildings, Chicago shows one of its best features.  With some of the best pizzerias and other excellent restaurants, you’ll not want for food.  Be sure to take a walk down the Magnificent Mile and go out and ride the Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier.
2. New Orleans, LA – Home of the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII.  If you have never been to a Super Bowl, or even just visit the entertainment that accompanies the Super Bowl you should give it a try.  Hosting its 10th Super Bowl, all the stops are out to trump Indy’s triumphant Super Bowl Village debut last year.  This year, New Orleans will have a Super Bowl Boulevard which will have four days of music, food, interactive fan events and national television broadcasts.  Add all this to the natural draw of Mardis Gras, Bourbon Street and the French Quarter and New Orleans will be one of the hottest places to go in 2013
3. Washington D.C. – One of the very best times to go to Washington D.C. is during the Cherry Blossom Festival.  This year it will span from March 20 – April 14.  Tokyo Japan gifted 3,000 cherry trees to Washington D.C. in 1912 as a gesture of friendship.  The Cherry Blossom Festival is filled with exhibits, Japanese artwork, food and drink, parade and a ton of family activities.
4. Maui, Hawaii – If you want to go to paradise, take a trip to Hawaii.  The minute you land in Hawaii the stress seems to just stay on the plane.  If you choose to land on Maui, you can watch the sunrise from Haleakala National Park, grab a nice meal at Mama’s Fish House, but mostly relax on the beaches! One of the high points of your trip should be a submarine cruise to explore the life a few feet under the ocean.  Artists will never be able to replicate the colors that nature paints on Maui.
5. Times Square, NYC – Just the energy that courses through this area alone should get  you through the rest of your vacation.  Whether you go during the summer, fall, or even New Year’s Eve, Times Square is the destination you should try to fit in during your travel.  Most likely one of the most visually stimulating man-made areas of the world, you are in the heart of the City.  Food and drink readily available and many photo-ops just feet from each other, Broadway Street between 42nd and 47th Streets is just invigorating.

No matter where you travel, be sure to check out ParkRideFlyUSA for your airport parking.  We have vendors at every major U.S. airport.  By reserving your parking space ahead of time, you will have the peace of mind knowing you have a guaranteed parking space at a great price.  You’ll receive transportation to and from the airport terminal, assistance with your luggage.  So, make your New Year Resolution with me.  Let’s all travel more!

Look at all the things you need to pack in your suitcase for your holiday trip.  Ugh, how is that going to happen without a miracle.  Have no fear, we are here to offer a few suggestions.

• Unless you are traveling to a remote location, chances are there will be a washing machine in your hotel, or where you are staying.  No need to take a lot of extra clothes that you may not wear!
• Fold or roll?  Tissues or plastic?  However you decide to pack your items, just remember to ask if there will be an iron at your destination.  I personally like to use the space saving bags. They saved me a ton of room on a trip to Maui!
• Travel as lightly as possible.  Many airlines are really cracking down on allowable luggage and charging high fees for overweight bags.
• Ship things home if they don’t fit in your bag after your trip.  Even I did this a couple times.  It’s cheaper than paying the high airline fees!
• Don’t pack a hair dryer or the big value size shampoo if you don’t need it.  Hotels often have irons, hair dryers and other common items.  Buy your shampoo and other items once you arrive at your destination.
• Really think about what you absolutely need, and then cut your choices in half!
• A good rule is if you are traveling for a week, take a shirt for each day, a pair of pants for every 2 days, underwear, and 2 pairs of shoes (you will wear one pair on the plane).
• If you are checking a bag and taking toiletries or seasonal items (like suntan oil, etc) a good tip I found is to take the tops off the liquid and place plastic wrap over the opening.  Tightly screw the lid back on the bottle.  That way, if somehow the lid pops open, the plastic will keep the liquid in the bottle.
• Just relax.  We all forget something when we pack.  If you forgot your favorite socks, it’s no big deal.  You can always purchase more if needed.

For one of the best tips, plan your trip all the way through your airport parking.  Visit our website to review the off-airport parking vendors in our network available at all the major U.S. airports.  You’ll receive a great parking space at a great rate, transportation to and from the airport terminal, and help with your luggage.  You can’t get any better than that.  So, have a great holiday trip and we’ll take great care of your vehicle.

Doesn’t it seem sometimes that there’s a week for everything? This week is National Unmarried and Single Americans week. Last year there were 102 million unmarried people over 18 in America – that’s 44.1% of all the over 18s in the US. It’s a huge group and that alone is worth celebrating.

Celebration of national singles week started in Ohio about 20 years ago. However it really took off when Unmarried America began to promote it in 2001. The addition of the unmarried label recognizes the fact that those with partners, or who are parents or have been widowed do not regard themselves as single.

So what can you do to celebrate this week? While there’s a serious side to this observance, it’s also a great time for some travel fun. How about these suggestions for great trips for singles and unmarrieds.

• One of the classic singles trips is a beach weekend in the Caribbean, Cancun or even Florida. We’re not talking about Spring Break style mayhem – unless that’s what you want – but a trip where you can work on your tan and enjoy the more relaxed beachside pace.
• For a bit of girly fun, consider a weekend spa or shopping trip – or combine them both. Hit the shops on the first day to stock up on fashion and beauty products and then pamper yourself, especially your tired feet, at the spa.
• While guys go to the spa too (nothing wrong with that), they might also enjoy something more active. There are dozens of adventure breaks for adrenaline junkies as well as weekends for braving the outdoors, kayaking or canoeing, paint balling or any other sport you can name.
• And let’s not forget some trips that are great for a group, like hitting the casino or doing the rounds of the city’s best bars.

What’s your favorite way to spend a singles weekend?

Planning a trip with your single friends? Book off airport parking with Park Ride Fly USA and save! Read details of our latest airport parking offer here.

(Image:  jthetzel)