Travel on Dealtaker

Posted by Siddeley on August 3, 2009

I am happy to report that Travel Deals continue to roll in steadily here at Dealtaker.  Not a lot of change in the biggest sale areas – Still seeing great deals and pricing in Las Vegas & Orlando, with Chicago & Hawaii coming in a close second.

Here are a couple sales that I found Outstanding over the past couple weeks -

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Once Was Enough

Posted by fheenix33 on May 21, 2009

Those that know me will tell you that I hate to fly.  In my adulthood I have always made the decision to travel via ground.  Over the years I’ve heard people ask me countless times, “How do you know you don’t like to fly if you’ve never been in a plane?”  I will admit, they had a point and in April of 2008 I decided to fly to Texas for a business trip.  Long story short, by the time I landed at the DFW airport I was convinced that after my flight back to Ohio I would never fly again. 

Surprisingly I am not afraid of heights.  In fact, one of the things I want to do in my lifetime is go sky diving.  The only thing holding me back from the “I love to fly” group is the mere fact that when I am on a plane I have no way to get out.  If there are any problems on the plane or something malfunctions and the only solution is evacuation, you can safely assume what the end results will be. 

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Travels From Cashville

Posted by DraginFli on May 19, 2009

Here I sit all lonely in the airport waiting on Miss Jeni and the transporter. I forgot my breakfast bar and those measly lil’ airplane snacks just didn’t cut it. The cran-apple drink didn’t help my bladder either. I will not get up to go use the toilet on an airplane. Don’t know why – I just won’t. So the first place I headed to was the washroom.

I managed to squeeze four pair of shoes in my carry on for this trip(still have room for gifts). I think I’m in need of a pair of all-purpose shoes. I was next to last off plane because I had to put my bag in compartment behind me, and needed that washroom STAT!

Needless to say the flight was short and sweet. Well other than it taking 20 min. to park the plane.

^ My home away from home. They have the best beds. And yes i used all four pillows.

Back home now so off with the shoes!!!

Roadtrips

Posted by Siddeley on April 27, 2009

One of the things I enjoy the most about car trips is experiencing all of the neighborhoods and town and watching things subtly change the further I get from my house.  I always pick up an “off the beaten path” book and try to plan the drive around a hidden restaurant, specialty shop or unusual sight.  The trip may take a little bit longer but the memories seem more complete and if you are in a hurry flying is probably the way to go anyway. 

There is a great website for picking out things to do and see called Roadside America.  Since our drives will take us in all directions I thought I would just point out a few things on the website that I think are cool.  They do have an easy search by State or Town or Attraction and it is fun to see what is out there!

Close by my house, or on my way out of town, is Foamhenge - a scaled down replica of Stonehenge made from styrofoam.    It is, the creator points out, the only American Stonehenge that really is an exact replica of the time-worn original. “I went to great pains to shape each ’stone’ to its original shape”  The day that we stopped by there was another family visiting and their kids were having a blast running in and out of the “stones”.   Nice way to stretch your legs on a long trip.

I can’t wait to try this one out!  The Kansas Underground Salt Museum.  A tour here is like a drive inside a parking garage — except that it’s 67 miles long and sealed inside of a 400-foot-thick block of salt.  

The tour guide explaines that “The biggest fear that people have is coming down here in the first place.”  We understand why. The elevator ride down is a pitch-black descent, clanging, banging, and rattling inside a bare metal box that sounds as if it’s being whacked with a sledgehammer.  Get that adrenilan going!

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There are ways to save cash while still enjoying time off

Posted by DBiles on February 2, 2009

DYLAN BILES TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: January 31, 2009

Since the New Year began a few weeks ago there has been a welcome addition to my pay stub. It’s always been there, but it’s been a few months since it had anything more than a zero next to it. I’m talking about my vacation day balance.

I took my last vacation in May — a vacation which I used to move across town, doing myself no favors in the relaxation department — and having weathered the busy holiday shopping season I find my thoughts turning to my next vacation with increasing regularity.

So, with a fresh ledger of vacation days at my disposal, I’ve begun exploring my options for a relaxing getaway sometime in the next few months. The world is my proverbial oyster and I’ve allowed my mind to float away on dreams of European getaways or Caribbean cruises.

Every time I drift off into one of those flights of fancy, however, I glance at my paycheck, then shift my gaze to my pile of monthly bills and my dreams start to dissipate ever so slightly as reality sets in. These are tough economic times and dropping a paycheck on an exotic local isn’t exactly practical.

There are some great vacation ideas and travel tips that I’ve found to help save some cash while still enjoying my time off. Here are a few of the factors and options I’m considering.

Once you’ve found a price that you find agreeable, call the hotel or airline directly, tell them the price that you are being offered and ask them if they can beat it. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won’t but by doing some research online and spending some time you’ll be able to undercut the market effectively.I’ve also found that package deals, while they can be great, are generally not quite as cheap as you’ll find if you spend the time to try to push the airlines and hotels lower and book separately.

There are some great packages at some of the nicer hotels for in-town getaways. One major hotel has a four-day package that includes room, spa, one round of golf per day and one meal per day for around $150 per night. I am strongly considering going this route since paying a little more for a room is more than made up for by spending no money on travel.

When planning your next vacation keep these tips in mind. Maybe a gloomy economic climate won’t make you have to give up completely on your fantasy trip.