Where the buffalo stampede

Here's a chance to see 8 tons of gen-u-ine American bison. Beginning Feb. 25, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction in Branson, Mo., will present “Return of the Buffalo!”  nightly in the 35,00-square-foot arena.  In addition to the buffalo, the show presents 32 horses as  North and South conduct a friendly rivalry, assisted by audience participation. The show comes complete with a four-course feast. Ticket prices begin at about $25 for children and $46 for adults, but there are sometimes coupons and other discounts.  Visit www.dixiestampede.com.   

As for those buffalo, they are the largest terrestrial animal in North America, and once numbered 60 million in massive herds roaming the grasslands.  In modern time, buffalo have been restricted to a few national parks and reserves, and nowadays Branson.

Trivial question

Which South American countries does the equator pass through? Hint: There are three of them. (Answer somewhere below.)

Here comes the world's largest pub crawl

A  world record is expected when the 10^th Annual Mardi Gras Pub Crawl hits the road on Feb. 19 at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.  Considered the world's largest pub crawl, this year's festivities are expected to attract a  record  6,000 participants, organizers say. During the crawl,  shuttle buses will carry participants to 19 Lake-area restaurants and bars.  Participating venues will feature a variety of food and drink, including Ozarks barbecue, Chicago-style pizza, seafood, Mexican favorites and more.  Bars will offer live rock, blues and country music, plus DJs and karaoke.  Along the way, revelers will be able to collect plenty of Mardi Gras beads and souvenirs. A $5 wristband, available at any of the venues and participating hotels, is all you need to ride and participate, but you do have to be 21 or older. Visit www.lakepubcrawl.com.

Fascinating fact

In 1791, Maine's first lighthouse keeper got an anuual salary of $160. But then he had a unique residence with a seaside view. 

Mmmmmm ... chocolate -- all month long 

Throughout this month, Kimpton hotel guests, restaurant diners and local cocoa cravers can indulge in complimentary chocolate-themed events at more than 50 hotels and restaurants across the country.  And on Feb. 17, Kimpton will celebrate “Chocolate Lover’s Day” from 5-7 p.m. in hotel living rooms with complimentary chocolate-inspired desserts, tastings, hors d’oeuvres and Kimpton’s ultimate hot or chilled chocolate drinks. Also, participating restaurants around the country will feature at least two chocolate loving desserts on the menu all month. Visit www.kimptonchocolate.com for recipes, featured chocolate desserts at restaurants and a schedule of tasting events.

Worth quoting

"Let your memory be your travel bag." -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Three Las Vegas deals

The following offers can be found at www.vegas.com:

Book a room marked with the Up to 30% Off Your Stay offer at Trump International Hotel and Tower between now and Feb. 28,  for stay dates between now and Feb. 28 and get up to 30 percent off your stay and a $50 spa credit. Book a room marked with the "Includes Free Bottle of Wine and $50 Food Credit offer The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for a two-night stay between now and Feb. 28 for stay dates between now and Sept. 30 and get a free bottle of wine and $50 food credit. For a limited time, buy a ticket to see Penn & Teller  (pictured) and get dinner at Cafe Martorano of Buzios inside Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. 

 

Trivial answer

 The three South American countries the equator passes through are Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia.

Be on the lookout for these six travel 'gotchas'

       The November issue of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine warns against a half-dozen travel gotchas -- those oh-so-common gimmicks that can make your trip cost more than you ever thought it was going to. The gotchas:

FARE JUMPING: You click on a great deal, and the site says it’s no longer available. On Expedia, a flight from Miami to Montego Bay, Jamaica, suddenly rose by 40%; on Travelocity the price of a hotel room in Chicago suddenly rose by $110. So don’t bank on getting a juicy rate online until you click through to book it. 
ADDED FEES: Many travel products include taxes, fees, and surcharges. But not all are posted, so you might not find out about them until you get to the hotel or airport. Instead, go to the travel provider’s website for fee info to avoid surprises.   
OVERPRICED PACKAGES: When you book a flight online, you’re asked whether you’d like to add a hotel room or rental car. But packaged deals aren’t always bargains. So take the time to price a package’s components. Also check out DealBase, which does the math and lists good and bad deals. 
PRICE GUARANTEES: The ads promise you’ll get the lowest rates or you get a refund. But ShopSmart found so much fine print that it concluded that claiming a refund is a long shot. You should ignore price guarantees and find the best deals on your own.  
DYNAMIC PRICING: This means that different people might get different prices online for identical searches. To avoid this, erase traces of searches by resetting the browser preferences and deleting cookies, or use two different browsers to check prices.
HIDDEN BARGAINS: Major travel sites sometimes make it difficult to find the lowest prices. If you search for a car on Expedia, for example, no initial sorting tool allows you to see all rentals in price order.  Don’t book until you’ve reset search preferences to find all the deals. Also visit sites of individual travel vendors if they’re missing.   

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Trivial question

      In what country will you find Ticos? (Answer somewhere below.)   

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$100 off and a 100% snow guarantee

       Rail Europe Inc., Switzerland Tourism and the Swiss Travel System will offer $100 off every booking of $200 or more that contains a Swiss Pass.  You get the discount by entering promo code SWISS100 when booking online through RailEurope.com or MySwitzerland.com/train.  Or you can call 888-382-7245 and mention promo code SWISS100. In addition,  Alex Herrmann, director of Switzerland Tourism North America, says “Switzerland’s winter resorts are on average at higher altitudes than those of other European countries. We can therefore promise a 100 percent snow guarantee.” 
     For more winter ideas go to www.myswitzerland.com/winter

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Fabulous fact

      Qantas is an acronym for: Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service. 

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Take me out to the ball game ... in Israel

     Here's a rare chance to play baseball with the Israeli National Team. The Jewish National Fund is planning a trip May 29-June 4 that includes games, clinics, and a tour of the Holy Land. The land-only price, with hotel stays, begins at $1,000, and participation without a hotel stay is $325. For details, click here.

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Trivial answer

      Ticos are found in Costa Rica. Tico is simply the  name used to refer to the native inhabitants.

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Three Las Vegas travel deals

       During the current slump, Las Vegas and environs are  wooing visitors with a variety of deals. Here, from Vegas.com, are three of them:   

Buffet Special: Book a minimum two-night stay at selected resorts between now and Nov. 15  for stays between Nov. 1 and Dec. 29, and get a 24-hour buffet pass valid for unlimited visits to seven of Vegas' best buffets.Details here.

 Free Seat Upgrade: For a limited time, guests can get mezzanine seating at balcony prices when booking selected Jabbawokeez show tickets on vegas.com. You save up to $11 per ticket. Details here.

50% Off: Book a stay at Boulder Station, near the Strip, between now and Dec. 28 for selected stay dates between now and Dec. 29 and receive 50% off Sunday-Thursday. Details here. 

Search Amazon.com for Las Vegas 

The top pet-friendly casinos in the United States

Traveling with your pet can be a gamble. Will you find a lodging spot that welcomes cats, dogs or aardvarks? Will your pet be happy there? And if you're going to a casino, will there be any hope of a happy Fido, Smokey or Gary the Gecko?  GR88.com (pronounced Great Eight .Com) says yes, and in fact lists the U.S. casinos that are friendliest to pets, along with the casinos' distinguishing features. The list:

Photo by Richard P. Carpenter

Bokhara Pet Resort & Spa, Williamsburg, Mich.

This resort makes vacationing more enjoyable for both owners and their pets, says GR88.  Dogs and cats live in paradise at this resort while their owners enjoy the proximity to the Grand Traverse Resort & Turtle Creek Casino.  The doggie resort is on 14 acres of lush land and has two layers of fencing to protect guests from unwanted visitors. Cats get cage-free boarding in a separate cottage, away from the bow-wows.  Additionally, all pets can get professional grooming during their stay.

Red Rock Casino, Resort, Spa, LasVegas

The rooms are serene, and guests and pets will feel at homet. Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa  offers  packages ranging from spa treatments, to golfing to outdoor ventures. But, as with several lodging spots,  there's a weight limit:  Dogs weighting less than 30 pounds are welcome.

Atlantis Casino Resort, Reno

The Atlantis Casino Resorthouses the largest gaming floor in Reno.  The hotel underwent expansion in 2006 and  recently opened the casino’s unique convention center sky bridge. This luxury hotel and casino offers gamers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, salon and a variety of excellent restaurants.  On top of all this, the casino is pet friendly, welcoming animals of all types.

Aliante Station Casino and Hotel, Las Vegas 

This casino opened in November 2008, but is already a favorite of many Las Vegas first-time visitors and regulars. The hotel is known for its mix of a casino, nightlife, and live entertainment. The resort welcomes dogs that weight under 25 pounds.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Biloxi, Miss.

This casino is for music and pet lovers.  It is rock-star themed with accommodations for smokers and non-smokers, offering accommodations that are comfortable for your pet. The casino houses 1,200 slots and 50 tables.  Guests can leave their dogs and cats in their room, as they relax in the spa, exercise in the fitness room and shop at the nearby stores. 

The Westin Casuarina Hotel, Casino and Spa, Las Vegas

This hotel is the best place to escape from the hustle and bustle of Vegas.  Test your luck at the Casuarina Casino and enjoy a calmer atmosphere than most casinos.  Both you and your pet will get a taste of the good life at this gamers’ paradise. The Westin accepts pets that weigh less than 40 pounds.

Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel

Just minutes from the boardwalk, the near lots of shops, casinos and dining. The staff happily welcomes pets and features a display of Miss America memorabilia and other pageant collectables. Guests can bring one dog that weighs up to 80 pounds.

The Sands Regency, Reno

There are numerous rooms for gamers looking for a more laid-back atmosphere.  The variety of games at this casino also makes it unique. Gamers can find everything from bingo to poker to slot machines.  One pet up to 50 pounds is welcome.

Knights Inn Atlantic City

The hotel is located centrally between the heart of Atlantic City and the city’s international airport.  GIt is also near the mall, boardwalk and historic city, Smithville. The Knights Inn accepts dogs that weigh no more than 80 pounds.

Search Amazon.com for traveling with pets 

And speaking of pets ...

Dog Fancy magazine has named Provincetown, Mass., the winner of the 2010 DogTown USA competition, saluting it as America’s most dog-friendly city. Others in the top 10:

• Carmel, Calif.

• Madison, Wis.

• Benicia, Calif.

• Fort Bragg, Calif.

• Lincoln City, Ore.

• San Diego, Calif.

• Virginia Beach, Va.

• Sioux Falls, S.D.

• Salem, Ore.

    

Trivial question

What is the capital of Bhutan? (Answer somewhere below.)

Learn Spanish -- in Spain, of all places

The sunny region of Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast offers great options for learning Spanish.  Throughout the year, Americans can choose among 15 schools offering intensive immersion courses for one or two weeks or even months at a time. For more information about the schools, click here.

Fabulous fact

 Grandparents traveling with grandchildren represent 7% of U.S. adult leisure travelers.

Let's hear it for National S'mores Day!

Tuesday, Aug. 10, is National S’mores Day, and The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Shores Beach, Fla., is celebrating with the first-ever S’mores Weekend & Cook-Off event, Aug. 6-10. Girl Scouts and their families and friends can enjoy a weekend of activities, culminating with a s’mores cook-off contest for the most creative and tastiest s’more.  A portion of the proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, which serves six Central Florida counties and more than 16,000 girls.  Girl Scouts, after all, are believed to have invented the treat, made by placing a piece of chocolate and a roasted marshmallow between two graham crackers. For complete details of the S’mores Weekend & Cook-Off Event, and to register for the competition, visit www.shoresresort.com/smores.php.

Trivial answer

Thimpu is the capital of Bhutan.

What it's like to live and work on a cruise ship

For my Boston Globe article on spending 10 days at sea, click here.


By Richard P. Carpenter
HONOLULU -- Although it seems hard to believe, cruise directors insist that passengers often ask them this question: “Does the crew sleep onboard?”
The answer, of course, is yes. They snooze onboard, work onboard, and live onboard in a society all their own. A rare insight into just how unique that society is was given by the cruise director and assistant cruise director of the Golden Princess as the 2,600-passenger ship visited the Hawaiian islands during a recent sailing.
Sharing that information was cruise director David Cole, 46, of Pennsylvania, and deputy director Anna Fell of England, who is younger than that. Both spoke frankly about life on the lower decks, discussing everything but salaries because, as Cole noted, that information should be between employee and employer.
It has been established that the crew sleeps aboard, but where? Most of the 1,100 crew members have rooms for two that are “really small,” Cole said, and have bunk beds. Differentiating between the hotel staff -- most of the people that passengers interact with -- and the marine staff, he said that the higher up one goes in the ship hierarchy, the bigger the room they get, “and the less time they have to spend in it.”
A ship’s staff is indeed kept busy. They are required to get 10 hours rest every 24 hours, but that still leaves the possibility of 14-hour days and depending upon circumstances, they have been know to work all of those 14 hours.
A crew has to eat, and the workers get the same good food as passengers, although there are separate “messes” for the entertainment staff, crew, and officers. Fell noted that there is a buffet table, nicknamed The Trough, which is used often by staff members on the run. And there’s a funny thing about good food: You can get tired of it. “When I go ashore, I stock up on Subway sandwiches for my refrigerator,” Cole said. There are, of course, many other services for the staff, from laundry to tailoring, and one deck containing such services is nicknamed the M1, after the British highway.
How does one get hired? Cole, who has spent 21 years at sea, has a background in musical theater and never even saw a cruise ship until he decided to apply and was quickly hired. Fell, who has worked on ships for six years, also has a background in performing arts that includes entertainment at a theme park in Spain. Both have homes to go to (Fell just recently bought hers) during the six to eight weeks between cruises. Other workers, such as waiters and cabin stewards, are often recruited, and while there are some 50 nationalities aboard, about a third of the crew comes from the Philippines.
Then there are the extremely temporary “employees,” such as the people who give lectures on the ports cruisegoers will visit, or the history of the cruise industry, or any number of topics to help passengers pass the time. There are agencies such as Sixth Star Entertainment & Marketing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that specialize in getting such people aboard ship. The lecturers’ remuneration is a free cruise, although they are usually responsible for their flight and port taxes.
As for the permanent staff, most are young and healthy, and many are single. Nature does take its course, and during the discussion of ship life, the name “Peyton Place” understandably came up.

Provincetown set for first Restaurant Week

Twenty Provincetown, Mass.,  restaurants will set their tables for the town’s first  Restaurant Week, Nov. 6-12. The  participating restaurants will offer three-course (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) prix fixe dinners at either $25 or $35, excluding gratuity, alcohol and tax. A  Gallery Stroll will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 5-8 p.m., when galleries along Commercial Street will host festive open houses.

For details, click here.

Speaking of food, check out Epcot

At Walt Disney World, the 14^th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is now on through Nov. 8, with a chance to sample food, beer and wine from around the world, to the accompaniment of live music.  Some 250 chefs including Disney chefs and guest chefs from across the country will participate.  Some events are free at others cost varying prices.

For details and a complete program, click here.

Fascinating fact 

Americans eat about 350 slices of pizza per second.

Bermuda, for girlfriends and golfers

Bermuda's Elbow Beach resort has launched two new packages for the fall. The Girls Just Want to Have Fun  package provides welcome sweets, beach and pool time, a two-hour session at the spa, and a wine- and cheese-tasting event. Rates at $430 per person, with breakfast and dinner included.  The  package includes a fourth night free for a minimum four-night stay and includes taxes and gratuities. The golf and spa package, meanwhile, offers a variety of holistic treatments to choose from at The Spa at Elbow Beach, and a tee time at the newly renovated Port Royal Golf Course. Rates start at $420 per person with breakfast, dinner, two hours at the spa, and a round of golf. This package is for a minimum three-night stay and includes taxes and gratuities. Both packages are valid until Dec. 31.

For details, click here or call 441-236-3535.

Worth quoting

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.”

                                                                            - – Fitzhugh Mullan

Where the deals are this autumn

The Orbitz Insider Index has reviewed average hotel costs in 10 popular shoulder-season destinations, with an eye toward the ones that give travelers the most value this fall.  International hot spots Dublin and Bermuda top the list, offering  the highest  percentage of savings, 44% and 38% respectively.  But, savvy spenders should also set their sights on a fall trip on to Las Vegas, San Juan, and once again, Dublin, all of which offer average hotel rates under $100 per night.

For hotel rooms beginning at $29 a night, visit www.orbitz.com/sales.

Be prompt, and save big at Squaw Valley

Starting tomorrow, Sept. 29, the first 100 people to book a winter stay in the Village at Squaw Valley USA will get 40 percent off the price of reservations.   Book by calling 866-818-6963 or visiting www.thevillageatsquaw.com beginning Sept. 29 at midnight.     Blackout dates and restrictions apply at the California resort; and at least two nights must be booked to receive the rate.  High-season prices start around $209 a night

These streets weren’t named for elephants OR circuses

One of the many things I love about London are the names of its streets. You know: places like Bleeding Heart Yard, Houndsditch, Spitalfields, Elephant and Castle. But how did they get those colorful names anyway? The Associated Press recently looked into that question and came up with these answers:

* Bleeding Heart Yard is from a legend that a noblewoman's still-pumping heart was found there after she was murdered in the 1620s.

* Houndsditch comes from the ditch where people dumped dead dogs in the Middle Ages.

* Spitalfields, the site of a popular market in east London, is a contraction of "Hospital Fields." The New Hospital of St. Mary without Bishopsgate was located there in the early 12th century.

* Elephant and Castle, in south London, may be a corruption of "La Infanta de Castilla," which in Spanish refers to Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess who was the first (but not the last) to marry Henry VIII..

And there are more:

* Piccadilly Circus gets its name from a stiff collar called a "picadil" and a picadil tailor’s mansion called Piccadilly Hall. In this instance, “circus” merely means a circular area.

* Pall Mall, which cuts through London’s center, may have got that name because British nobility liked to play "paille maille" on long, straight streets.

* Chalk Farm, in north London, is a corruption of "Chalcot Farm," which the AP says no longer exists but was chosen as the name for the nearby Underground stop “simply because it was memorable.”

For a lot more about London, including a three-night flight-and-hotel offer starting at $599, go to www.visitlondon.com.


Everyone groan -- here comes a travel joke
A passenger piled his suitcases on the scale at an airline counter in Chicago and, after paying the airline’s outrageous fees, told the ticket agent, "I'm flying to Los Angeles. I want the square case to go to Denver and the two round ones to go to Boston."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't do that," said the ticket agent.
"Why not?” answered the passenger. You did it the last time!"

Las Vegas resort gives a $100 beverage credit
The Signature at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a Mobil four-star resort, is celebrating its third birthday with a deal. Throughout July, when you book the Signature Celebration package, rates start at $129 per night for a junior suite -- and you get a $100 beverage credit. If it happens to be your birthday, too, you get a complimentary upgrade to a one-bedroom suite.
Call 877-727-0007 and mention booking code “BIRTHDAY.” The website is www.signaturemgmgrand.com.

And speaking of beverages ...
The Deerfield Inn in Deerfield, Mass., is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a new tavern and name for the restaurant. In a tribute to acclaimed painter and late 19th century Deerfield resident, James Wells Champney, the name is now Champney’s Restaurant and Tavern. What’s more, the beverage menu features a whopping 101 custom-blended martinis, and restaurant guests get a free treat -- some of the inn’s signature Dense Chocolate Torte for dessert.
Visit www.deerfieldinn.com or call 413-774-5587 .

Worth quoting

“There ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

                                                                                                                                            -- Mark Twain

2 months of music, dance, theater, flamenco
For 60 days this summer, Madrid will welcome performing artists like Sara Baras, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Cesária Évora, Gilberto Gil, Jerry Lee Lewis, Youssou N’Dour, Carlos Saura and James Taylor. The Spanish capital’s Summer in the City Festival will have 1,166 performances – 65 concerts, 50 plays, 30 dance companies, 200 film screenings and two circuses. Events begin Thursday and run through Aug. 23. Prices, locations and times vary. For the rundown, click here.  To learn about Spain, visit www.spain.info.

Fascinating facts
With a coastline of 2,650 miles, Chile makes up more than half the western coastline of South America. This ultra-thin country is between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, the earth's longest exposed mountain range at more than 4,300 miles.

Answer to Monday’s trivia: Buenos Aires
The striking span pictured below is the Puente de la Mujer in Buenos Aires, a 335-foot-long suspension pedestrian bridge The central portion can turn 90 degrees to allow water traffic to get by.

Oh, those wise-cracking flight attendants!

Illustration by Boeing

Flight attendants must get tired of making the same announcements and instructions several times a day, so some attendants give them a new twist. Here, from a variety of online sources plus the evidence of my own ears, are some announcements heard (or allegedly heard) on planes:

* There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only six ways out of this airplane.”

* Please turn off all BlackBerries and also blueberries and raspberries.

* You'll find the smoking section on the wing of the aircraft.

* Be sure to take all of your belongings. But if you're going to leave something, make it something we'd enjoy having.

* We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.

* Weather at our destination is 60 degrees with broken clouds, but we'll try to fix them before we arrive.

* We thank you for flying with us, and the next time you get an urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of us!

All-in-one summer fun in Waterville Valley, N.H.

In New Hampshire, Waterville Valley Resort's all-inclusive Summer Unlimited package lets  visitors to selected accommodations  pay one fee for a range of activities. In June, prices start at $37 per person, for a family of four. Included are two hours of mountain biking daily, a ride on Snow's Mountain Chair Lift, unlimited tennis, unlimited use of the White Mountain Athletic Club, unlimited ice skating, daily golf, unlimited transportation, boating on Corcoran's Pond, and gym programs. There are also a-la-carte optional programs.

For more information or reservations, go to www.visitwatervillevalley.com or call 800-GO VALLEY (468-2553). 

Fascinating fact

There is one slot machine in metropolitan Las Vegas for every nine residents. The area has about 200,000 slots and approximately 1.8 million people.

Eloise packages at NYC's Plaza Hotel

Do children still read the "Eloise" books. Apparently so, because come June 1, the Plaza Hotel in New York is going to offer Live Like Eloise and Live Like Eloise Slumber Party packages in honor of its most famous and mischievous fictional guest, Kay Thompson’s Eloise. Neither is inexpensive. The Live Like Eloise package includes overnight accommodations in a Deluxe Rose Suite, a complimentary upgrade to the next available suite category at time of booking, a copy of the Eloise book, a Super Duper Sundae from in-room dining, and Eloise postcards with complimentary postage. Rates are from $895 a night. And if you think that's pricey, try the Slumber Party package for up to six guests, which includes overnight accommodations in a Plaza Suite, a copy of Kay Thompson’s "Eloise Guide to Life: or How to Eat, Dress, Travel, Behave and Stay Six Forever" (would that we could),  Super Duper Sundaes from in-room dining,  Eloise postcards with complimentary postage, and an assortment of Eloise DVD’s accompanied by Eloise’s favorite movie snacks. Rates begin at $3,595 a night.

For details on both packages, click here or call 888-240-7775. For hotel information, visit www.fairmont.com/theplaza. 

Ride 'em Elvis: Graceland opens its stables

Beginning today, Graceland in Memphis will open its stables to the public. Elvis, you see,   "was happiest when riding horses," says ex-wife Priscilla. Among the equine attractions is Maxc From Maine, age 3, who was rescued from being euthanized, and Sun's Reflection, a relative of Elvis' golden palomino Rising Sun. Elvis Presley's Stable Tour at Graceland costs $8-$15.
For details on this and other Graceland tours, click here. 

Ways to stretch your travel dollars as summer starts

Las Vegas is one of the vacation spots where many great deals are available, providing you don't gamble away what you saved, and then some. By the way, this famous sign, built in 1959, has just been added to the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo by Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA.)

With summer unofficially beginning this Memorial Day weekend, it's heartening to know that the rocky economy isn't stopping travelers from, er, traveloing. A survey of more than 600 American Express Travel agents hints that while Americans continue to book summer vacations, they are being savvier by making slight-but-smart tradeoffs to help offset costs. Among the strategies:

* They are booking vacations closer to dates of travel to take advantage of last-minute deals.

*They are vacationing closer to home.

*They are cashing in their frequent-flier miles and credit-card reward points.

* They are choosing destinations where the dollar goes farther (see below).

Here, from the agents surveyed, are tips for saving this summer:

* Look for packages with free-night promotions. (We would add that packages, in general, are a good way to save. Even if you don't use all the features in a given hotel or hotle-flight package, you could still come out ahead.

*Consider a cruise. This helps travelers manage their budgets because costs, including that of dining, are included.

*Be flexible about travel dates. The best deals are midweek.

* Twosomes might consider a couples-only resort. Deep discounts are currently available.

And the destinations that make your buck stretch? The agents picked these U.S. Cities: Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Los Angeles. For international destinations, they chose Rome, London, Paris, Madrid and Prague.

Travel tip

Do not turn your hotel room keycard in to the desk at the end of your stay because most contain your credit-card information. It's best to take them home and shred them. And speaking of those cardes, do not put them in your pocket next to your cfellphone. The phone could demagnetize the information strip on the card.

Elope and honeymoon in Texas for under $500

The Star of Texas B&B in Brownwood has one of the most affordable wedding packages we've seen. The package includes a wedding ceremony preformed in the Garden Room or on the outdoor wedding deck by the innkeeper/chaplain, a bouquet of flowers for the bride, a small cake for two with punch, plus a photo CD. The cost is $169 plus the price of the room, with rates from $129-$169 per night.

Call 800-850-2003 or visit www.hat.org.

Old and tired travel joke

A vulture was boarding an airplane with two captured carcasses. "Sorry," said the flight attendant, "only one carrion per person."

A summer stay on the Big Island for $67 a night

Shell Vacations Hospitality has an online-only deal at Hawaii’s Kona Coast Resort on the Big Island. Guests get 40-60 percent off when they book a fully-furnished villa, and to sweeten the deal even more, Shell is offering a 10 percent discount on all food and beverage charges in the resort’s restaurant, plus a free one-day snorkel rental for two. With this special, rates begin at $67 per night. The package is valid through Aug. 1, except for July 3- July 5 and Oct. 7 – 11.
Bookings can be made only at Shell's blog.Click here.

Trivial question

In what city will you find Domodedovo International Airport? (Answer Saturday. And, yes, we know that you can google the answer, but let's play fair.)

$55 gets you into many homes you won't forget

Paul McCartney's childhood house at 20 Forthlin Road

It was in a little terrace house in Liverpool, England, that so much amazing musical history would be made. The house, on Forthlin Road , was Paul McCartney’s childhood home, where the Beatles rehearsed and composed many of their songs. Not too far away is Mendips, John Lennon’s home. Both are filled with photos and memorabilia, making them as much of a “must see” as Abbey Road. And you can easily visit them, along with homes that were once occupied by Winston Churchill, Sir Isaac Newton, and, yes, even George Washington. These places are protected and preserved by the National Trust of Great Britain. The Royal Oak Foundation, which is the U.S. membership affiliate of the National Trust, grants free access to those homes as well as all over 300 other historic houses and gardens, 700 miles of coastline, and 620,000 acres of open countryside. Membership is $55.

To join, or just to learn more, visit www.royal-oak.org. 

Trivial question

What is America's most-visited national park? Answer Thursday.

Las Vegas rooms on sale (again)

as Vegas may be the easiest place in the world to get a bargain on a hotel room. Right now, Hotels.com is touting Vegas rooms beginning at $20. Click here. Ah, but you know what some people are going to do with those savings.

A yuk from the tour guide

In Atlanta, home of CNN and Coca-Cola, some guides will tell you to avoid the F word and the P word because "in this city, they stand for Fox News and Pepsi." Ooooh, naughty.