Riding the Rails – Take a day trip on the Amtrak! Affordable and fun!

July 10th, 2008

Philadelphia Amtrak Train Station by Sheree Zielke

If you have never taken the train, or you haven’t ridden the rails in some time, then check out the nearest Amtrak station.  Especially when exploring a new city. That’s the Philadelphia Amtrak station showing above.

With the high cost of rental cars, gasoline, insurance, and with the irritation of battling traffic in a strange city, travel by Amtrak train is like a gift from heaven.

My husband and I have just decided to include at least one Amtrak day trip while traveling, and we are very glad we did.  We took the Amtrak between New York City and Philadelphia, and loved the trip.

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Spend a day in Philadelphia – take the train from New York City – it’s a GREAT idea!

July 6th, 2008
Click to play A Day in Philly 08
Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Cheers,
Sheree Zielke

New York City – Fourth of July Celebration 2008!

July 5th, 2008
Click to play Fourth of July NYC 2008
Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Avoid those airline checked bag fees: Get smart with your carry-ons!

June 26th, 2008

Photo by Sheree Zielke

No, not all the airlines are charging for the first checked bag, but will they hold out for much longer?  We may as well get used to traveling lighter now in anticipation of even higher fees down the road.

Those fees will really add up at $15-$25 per checked bag EACH way when flying to that dream destination.

But do you really need the extra baggage?  Probably not.  If you choose an appropriate carry-on bag and pack more efficiently, you’re likely to find that you don’t miss hauling around all those extra suitcases.

There are great travel sites with clever tips designed to help you beat the airlines at their own game.

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Rising cost of airline tickets and cruise ship fees shouldn’t mean the end to travel adventures!

June 25th, 2008

Cruise Ship Lights by Sheree Zielke

It’s all over the news.  Increases in airline tickets.  Increases in airline handling fees.

In Europe, Ryanair is charging for everything from booking your ticket with a credit card to simply showing up at the airport.  Cruise lines are upping their prices, too, and all in an attempt to offset the rising price of fuel.

But should the increased fees mean less travel?  Or maybe it’s just time to get really creative when booking or packing for our travel adventures?

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Foreign travel can be dangerous: Visit these sites for traveler reports

June 14th, 2008

Alberta Pond by Sheree Zielke

This is a typical sight from an Alberta highway.  A quiet little pond, so innocuous, so charming.  But many countries, many lands have similar vistas – sights which look perfectly safe, including those sights in some of the more questionable areas of the world like Egypt and Africa. 

How can a traveler know if a decision to explore a new world is a smart decision? 

Luckily, there are many web sites that can help you make an informed decision.  Some even have links to other travel tools (like currency conversion charts) that make travel to a foreign land a whole lot easier.

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Adventurous Travel or Dangerous Travel? Which would you choose?

June 13th, 2008

Queen Isabella Causeway Texas Morning by Sheree Zielke

There’s “adventurous” travel and then there is “dangerous” travel.  Since neither my husband nor I are members of the CIA, nor are we navy seals, we have placed limitations on our travel experiences.   Those limitations recently affected one of our travel decisions: an end-of-summer trip to Belize.

Having reviewed a recent Canadian foreign affairs travel report, we have decided that Belize is not the place for us – at least not this year.

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Calgary Traffic – Beware visitors! Save on gas and your nerves!

June 11th, 2008

Calgary Downtown Skyline from Deerfoot Trail

I love my province, and I love our two biggest cities: Edmonton and Calgary.  But I hate the traffic congestion.  Monday, I went to Calgary for a Photoshop seminar.  Arriving at 5 PM was my first mistake; my second mistake was staying on the Deerfoot Trail.

The drive was perfectly normal.  3 hours from the west side of Edmonton to the edge of Calgary.  What happened after that was, in a word, ridiculous.

Read this if you want some good advice when traveling to Calgary.

Read the rest of this entry »

Travel Attire – Making good choices might improve your flight experience!

June 9th, 2008

Grumpy Traveler

My husband can be a pretty grumpy traveler, but even he, with a few moderations to his attire, can be a happy traveler.  He had to stop wearing his lace-up shoes through airport security, for one thing.  But here are a few more tips to help make your flying experience more palatable.

I have a great deal of respect for the Frommers’ people and their travel advice.  Recently, the travel site gurus ran a piece on what NOT to wear when flying.  The advice is simple, yet comprehensive.  It’s great advice for anyone who hasn’t quite figured out that, yes, Virginia, no matter what they taught you in school about being non-judgmental, on a plane, you will be judged by the clothes you wear.

Read on . . .

Read the rest of this entry »

Alberta’s Love Affair with Wheels: As long as it rolls, there’s an event or a place to honor it!

June 9th, 2008

Harley Davidson

Albertans have an extreme passion – they love their wheels.

Car wheels, motorcycle wheels, train wheels, farm machinery wheels – as long as it rolls – Albertans will pay tribute.

Here is a quick look at just a few of the events and museums in the province that might be intriguing to all those wheel fanatics out there.

Classic Black Car Headlight by Sheree Zielke

Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Sheree Zielke

You are welcome to comment.  Let me know if my blog has helped you.  Or add a comment if you feel I have missed an important point.  I don’t mind correction.  A “dig” on a social networking site would be appreciated, too.  Just use the handy links below.  Subscribe to the Picajet Blog to receive notices of replies to your comments, and new blog postings.)