Archive for June, 2008
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
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 . . .
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Tags:Airline Fees, carry on bags, checked baggage fees, fodor's, packing your carry-on bags, smarter travel, traveling with luggage on a plane
Posted in Airline Fees, Airline Travel, Beach Vacations, Budget Travel, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Products, Travel tips, Travel with kids, Variety | Comments Closed
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
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 . . .
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Tags:airline handling charges, how to beat the high costs of travel, increase in fuel costs, increased airline ticket prices, packing lighter for airline travel, Train Travel
Posted in Adventure Travel, Airline Travel, Budget Travel, Cruise Ship Travel, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel tips, Variety | Comments Closed
Saturday, June 14th, 2008
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 . . .
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Tags:diseases in other countries, safe travel, travel advisories, travel alerts, travel reports, travel safely to another country, world currency converter
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Travel tips, Travel with kids, Tropical Destinations, Variety | No Comments »
Friday, June 13th, 2008
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 . . .
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Tags:Adventure Travel, canada travel advisories, caye caulker belize, crime in belize city, dangerous travel, government travel reports, how to travel safely, tropical storm arthur
Posted in Adventure Travel, Beach Vacations, Belize, Caribbean, Family Vacations, Ports of call, Texas, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Tropical Destinations, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
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.
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Tags:calgary alberta, deerfoot trail, traffic conditions alberta, traffic congestion calgary, traveling alberta highways
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Travel with kids | No Comments »
Monday, June 9th, 2008
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 . . .
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Tags:airport security tips, good clothing choices for travel, leg swelling while flying, lost luggage, luggage identification tips, what to wear on a plane
Posted in Adventure Travel, Airline Travel, Digital Cameras, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel tips, Variety | Comments Closed
Monday, 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.
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.)
Tags:alberta car shows, rexall edmonton indy, rock n august st albert, show n shine alberta
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Car shows, Sports, Tourist attractions, Variety | Comments Closed
Saturday, June 7th, 2008
With millions of people, all eager to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s best Fourth of July fireworks, where does a visitor – or for that matter – a local New Yorker go to catch the show?
It’ll be my first visit to New York during the 4th of July, and I wanted to do this visit up right. I have already done Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day – so I am expecting great things from New York City on Independence Day.
But I am glad I did the research first. Here’s what I discovered about how best to enjoy the Fourth of July in New York City.
Read on . . .
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Tags:independence day in new york, macys fourth of july fireworks, new york city fourth of july, roosevelt island, watching fireworks from roosevelt island
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Holiday Celebrations, New York, Photography tips, Travel photography, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
Okay, count me in. I’m hooked.
When I began my initial research into Philadelphia, I wasn’t expecting to find, of all things, pirates. But lo and behold, yes, indeedy, matey, I am on my way to see pirates.
Or rather what is left of them. This July. On a day trip from New York City.
I have decided to ignore pre-arranged babysitting tour company all-in-one tours, and arrange the trip myself on the Amtrak train. It’ll save my husband and I a bundle of money. And I am a sucker for the unexpected.
So, the pirate exhibit in Philly was a most delightful unexpected surprise. I can hardly keep my timbers from shivering.
Read on . . . (more…)
Tags:city of brothery love tourist attractions, john king boy pirate, liberty bell, Philadelphia, philly cheesesteak, pirate folklore, real pirates at the franklin institue, rocky steps, whydah ship
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Philadelphia, Tourist attractions, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
We are off to New York City in a few weeks, but we’ve been there lots of times. And, while we LOVE the Big Apple, we are adventurous travelers. So, it’s time to step out of our comfort zone once more.
The “City of Brotherly Love,” – that’s Philly, for those of you not in the know, is just under 2 hours away, by train. This historical hub of the USA sounds very intriguing.
But how to get there? And what to do? And how long do you have to do it?
Read on . . . (more…)
Tags:city of brotherly love day trip, new york city train trip to philadelphia, side trip to philly, train travel to philadelphia
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Philadelphia, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel tips, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
