Unusual Hotels: Find 'em Here

Okay, okay; I've been a bad blogger...again. Smack me on the wrist and give me my punishment. There's really no excuse for my behavior, apart from the fact it's been a busy summer and I've been gearing up for an autumn onslaught of bigger, better blogging. That said, here we go...

Ice Hotel, Jukkasjarvi, Sweden Photo via UnusualHotelsOfTheWorld.com

Your travel dollars are hard-earned these days. When you do decide to spend the cash and hit the road, you don't want to stay in just any old hotel. You want something different. You want something exciting. You want something underwater, in a cave or carved out of ice. What? Thanks to unusualhotelsoftheworld.com, it won't be such a tall order to find just the place to suit your atypical standards. The site contains tons of information on a bevy of unconventional shelters in all corners of the globe. It's easily searchable, infinitely interesting, and some of the photos are downright amazing. Happy hunting!

Wake from the Packing Nightmare

[Photo by Coco Rina/flickr]

So, you're going somewhere fabulous for a week-long getaway. You've got a closet full of dresses, at least 5 pairs of shoes and a pretty substantial jewelry collection that absolutely have to come with you -- not to mention the hair products. Guess you'll have to check that bag and waste precious vacation time waiting to retrieve it when you reach your destination. But wait, there may be another way! The packing expert at onebag.com has spent years learning "the art and science of traveling light." The site has a wealth of information on what to pack, what to pack it in and how to pack it. You may just find a way to fit all your necessities in that carry-on after all.

Scentsational Dreams

Photo by ***j9***/flickr

If you have trouble falling asleep in unfamiliar hotel rooms, Sleep Scentsations have you – or, ahem, your pillow – covered. The adhesive-backed pillow liners contain essential oils to induce a restful mood. Just place them right on the pillow, underneath the case, take a deep breath and drift off to sleep. Choose from a range of scents with charming names like Day at the Beach, Relaxing, and My Boyfriend’s Shirt. Each one comes individually wrapped, so it packs away easily in your suitcase.

Perfect Timing

I've been bad. A week-long trip to Atlanta (my hometown) to celebrate a dear friend's birthday and a subsequent Memorial Day blowout in NYC (complete with a visit from one of my best girlfriends who, without my permission, decided to move to Arizona) has meant I've neglected this precious blog. I'm back in the game now, though. I've got my head on straight (kind of). And, of course, I've got some info to share...

[Photo by Al Lanni/flickr]

You've booked your summer vacation time. You're thinking Europe. You're not exactly sure what part. Don't finalize those plans without checking out joobili.com. This sweet little site holds a database of all Europe's festivals, sporting events, cultural fairs, etc. Just enter your travel dates, click "inspire me" and get a report of the cities where you'll find the best travel experience for the particular time you'll be visiting. Perfect!

Lost and Found

Whether the airline recently misplaced a prized piece of your luggage or you just like nosing around in other people's stuff, you'll want to check out isthisyourluggage.com. This guy collects lost luggage (the airlines actually auction it off if they can't find the owners), photographs it (yep, the entire contents, too), and posts the pics on the website. Why? "Lunalaboo,"as he's called, admits it's mostly to satisfy his "weird voyeuristic passion," but says he also truly hopes to find the suitcases' rightful owners. Too bad it's not before the whole world has seen their dirty underwear!

Thanks to Raffy for letting me know about the site!

Earthy Exercise

[Photo by Prabhu B/flickr]

Frequent travelers usually like to stay in shape (you never know when you're going to have to sprint to your next flight gate or squeeze into that tiny bikini), but while we're looking out for our bodies, we can also look out for the planet. In honor of Earth Day, here are seven ways to green your exercise routine, courtesy of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel...

1. Donate your used fitness shoes.
Soles4Souls (soles4souls.com) donates shoes to those in need. Nike also accepts shoes and recycles them into sports courts around the world (letmeplay.com/reuseashoe).

2. When participating in a race, walk or other event, carry your own water or sports drink in a reusable plastic bottle (if you don't mind the extra weight).

3. Leave your car in the driveway and ride your bike to the gym (especially on weekends, when you have more time).


[Photo by Tuftronic1000/flickr]

4. Carpool to races.

5. Wear eco-friendly training clothing.

6. Sign an "eco-pledge" created especially for athletes, at AFitPlanet.com/pledge.

7. Designate a cleanup day for your running, cycling, inline skating or fitness club, where you agree to pick up the garbage along your usual route.

[Photo by Per Ola Wiberg/flickr]

Happy Earth Day!!

Boost Your Spirits

[Photo by Carlos Mendoza/flickr]

Want a morning pick-me-up that helps you feel and look amazing? One of my favorite little indulgences is Dr. Brandt's blueberry flavored anti-oxidant water booster. Just a few drops have the anti-oxidant power of 15 cups of green tea. It's great for your skin, gives a caffeine-free energy boost, and makes a regular glass of water taste super yummy. Even more perfect, the 2 oz bottle size means no problems packing it in your carry on so you can take it with you on your travels.

Sleep Guru

[Photo by Poupee Yvonne/flickr]

You may have noticed a recent pause in postings. Simple explanation: I spent most of last week in Vegas on a writing assignment for American Airlines. The trip was great. However, taking the red eye back to New York Saturday night wasn't quite as exciting. Unable to get comfy on the plane, I was completely wiped out when I got home and spent all day (yawn) in bed. Hopefully, though, this will be the last time I suffer a sleepless overnight flight. Today, I discovered seatguru.com. This site weighs the pros and cons of every seat on every commercial plane (with specific info on limited recline, reduced legroom, mis-aligned windows, and more) to help you pick the one that's most conducive to beauty rest -- a dream come true.

Confused About What to Pack?

[Photo by Digital Spohia/flickr]

Packing for your next trip got you feeling overwhelmed? Universal Packing List can take away some of the pain. I just stumbled on this fun little gem today. You to enter a few trip details like the length of your stay, max and min temperature where you're going, where you'll be staying and even the size of your bag. Click "create packing list," and it generates a packing list for you based on your entries. Granted, you'll want to add your own special touches, but it's a great way to make sure you don't miss the basics!

A Night at the Opera

Yvonne Naef as Fricka in "Die Walkure" [photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera]

You don't have to be in New York City to attend an opera at the Met. Nearly 850 local movie theaters around the globe are showing the performances live in HD. Next up: Puccini's Madama Butterfly on March 7th. Check for a venue near you, buy tickets and watch the Live In HD trailer here.

Eye in the Sky

Bora Bora, Tahiti [Satellite Image Courtesy of Geoeye]

Suffering from a serious case of wander lust but stuck at your desk staring at a computer? Geoeye has the cure: a collection of super high-res satellite images snapped all around the planet. Jet over to Bora Bora (above) or check out ancient sites like Stonehenge and Easter Island. On a more serious note, you can also view images of natural disaster areas (they've got pictures of Myanmar taken before and after last May's cyclone) and get a bird's eye view of newsworthy events like Barack Obama's inauguration. Everything's easily downloadable, too.

Conventional Wisdom

San Francisco, CA [ Sully T64 Photography/Flickr]

According to an AP article published in several of today's papers, the recent crack-down on business travel by companies under economic duress may actually be a good thing for people looking to travel on their own time. The logic makes sense. Cities like San Francisco and Las Vegas that are used to bringing in millions of dollars every year from conventions are feeling the sting of a major slowdown. In turn, they're offering some amazing deals to leisure travelers to try to entice them to pick up the slack. A media rep for Priceline says the site's seeing winning bids at half-off retail prices for 4-star hotels in big convention cities across the U.S.

Admittedly, "big convention city" isn't exactly the most tantilizing description for a vacation spot. But, factor in that New York, Miami and New Orleans are all on the list and things start to sound a little better. And, hey, you might just discover an unexpected gem. A recent trip to Orlando (wasn't expecting much, to be completely honest) proved that there's life beyond Disney World in the inland Florida city. The Grande Lakes resort is an oasis worth checking out...

Get Your Money, Honey

Annoyed because you purchased your airline ticket last week when you thought the prices were great, only to see them go even lower this week? Don't despair. You may be able to get your money back. Yep, you heard -- er, read -- me right. Many airlines will REFUND THE DIFFERENCE (in the form of a voucher) if the fare goes lower than what you paid. Some carriers charge a "change fee" of between $25 and $150 to apply the new price, but there are a few -- Southwest Airlines, for example -- that don't charge a thing. (In fact, Southwest offers cash refunds instead of vouchers in some cases.) Want a quick way to keep track of your fare? Sign up for fare alerts from your airline or use a website like Farecast.com. Happy travels!
[Photo by flygraphix/Flickr]