Intelligent Travel

IT's Fishy

As much as we like food, IT tries to stay healthy. Each day for lunch, Jessie sticks to vegetarian concoctions of chickpeas and spinach, while Emily generally fills up on $4 salads from the NGS cafeteria. We do this so that when we travel, we can eat what we want—be it cheesy tacos or key lime pie. Here, Emily writes about one such indulgence (there were many!) from her trip to Mississippi:

While traveling, I'm on a quest for the unique, especially when it comes to food. So, when my hosts told me about Jerry's Catfish House in Florence, Mississippi, I pleaded that we go. I mean, how many times in my life would I have a chance to go inside a giant concrete igloo, filled with more than 350 other people dining on all-you-can-eat plates of catfish? The idea was compelling—the experience even more so. We arrived early on a Saturday night—Jerry's is about 20 miles south of Jackson, just off Highway 49.  According to my hosts, we were lucky we didn't have to wait. 'On Friday nights, the line can reach out to here,' said Arnold, pointing to a spot 100 feet or so from the entrance, 'On those nights, we just turn around and go home.'

Gas Relief

Planning a summer road trip? If you've filled up your tank lately, you might be reconsidering with prices soaring above $3 per gallon. IT has tracked down some ways to minimize pains at the pump.

Hotels.com is offering $30 gas rebates on minimum two-night hotel stays between now and Sept. 9, 2007. Book your hotel by July 2 to get the deal and the money will appear on your credit card after your stay. You can also earn up to $50 in fuel credit if you book your vacation rental through ResortQuest. They throw in a road atlas and car cooler to sweeten the deal, available through November 1. In a similar promotion, Choice Hotels International is offering Choice Privileges members the opportunity to earn a $50 gas card after three separate stays in selected Choice brand hotels between June 1 and August 16. Participating hotels include Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, and Cambria Suites. Also check BedandBreakfast.com's free gas promotions for deals nationwide. For example, The Victorian Ladies B&B in Newport, Rhode Island, offers $50 or $100 gas discounts for two or three weeknight stays through September.

If, however, you've been reconsidering your road trip because you've been reading the news, do the eco thing and leave your car at home, avoiding the pump altogether. BedandBreakfast.com has a section on Eco Escapes with many B&Bs providing free airport pickup, a location within walking distance of area attractions, and bike/canoe rentals.

Solar, So Good

Three cheers for Marriott's Residence Inn West Orange in New Jersey!  It claims to be the first solar powered hotel in New Jersey. Says TravelPost.com:

Installed on the inn's southward-facing rooftops, the solar electric system produces power that meets about one-fifth of the hotel's total electricity needs. Over the next 30 years, the hotel's setup will reduce carbon emissions by 3,000 tons, says the Solar Center, an energy company that designed the system. That's the equivalent of planting about 43 acres of trees.

The hotel is also non-smoking, a decision we heartily applaud.  Here's hoping more hotels follow in their carbon footprints.

Entranced by Ensenada

The challenge of working at a travel magazine is resisting the constant temptation to travel. National Geographic Traveler staffer Mary Beth LaRue likes to divvy up her vacation days—jetting off for long weekends in New York, Jamaica and good ol' Iowa—rather than taking a single two-week trip in the middle of the year. Her most recent jaunt landed her in Ensenada, Mexico:

Tickets to San Diego were about $100 cheaper than those to Tijuana, and since it's only 90 minutes from there to Ensenada, saving the money was a no-brainer. I flew overnight, meeting with my friend Francis after arriving in the morning. We took a $1.50 trolley ride to the border and walked across. It was my first visit to Mexico, and I couldn't believe how simple it was to cross over.

Internet Itinerary: The Cool Hunter

Chocolate generally quells our wandering cravings, but every once in a while, IT needs something more. On days of such lust, we turn to the Internet and find ourselves scrolling through post after post of eye candy in the travel section of the Cool Hunter. True to its name, the site aggregates everything that's "cool" in the world of urban living, fashion, travel, design, and technology; there's some text, but it's the pictures that beguile. Scanning through the big, colorful photos of swank hotels in London, aerial views of Maldivian resorts, spas in Switzerland, and other outrageously trendy spots, we find ourselves a bit appalled that places like these actually exist—and then start dreaming up ways to visit them. (At the moment, we're concocting a scheme to sleep in this Gehry-designed hotel in Alava, Spain). IT bemoans the fact the travel section is rarely updated. Not that that keeps us from looking at the same pictures over and over again. We're addicted.

Beach Bargains

Half of IT is headed to the beach for Memorial Day weekend—lucky for Emily, she's staying with friends in their timeshare. But for those of you paying your own way, we've located an article on Smarter Travel (thanks Gadling) with a list of five hidden, affordable beach destinations. They suggest:

Anna Maria Island, Florida The hidden beach destination Floridians escape to, Anna Maria Island has somehow managed to keep condo towers, all-fast-food chains, amusement parks, and glitzy mega-resorts off its shores. In fact, no construction on this seven-mile [11-kilometer] long barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast is more than three stories tall, Subway is the only franchise, and 60 percent of its land is open beach. And, it's affordable, especially in the summer. You can rent vacation homes with water views and pools for well under $1,000 per week and get seafood entrees at beachfront restaurants for under $15.

Horsing Around on Assateague

IT's not so sure we'd want this poking around our tent at night, but National Geographic Traveler senior editor Norie Quintos has only good things to say about her recent weekend camping with the horses:

They look more like docile donkeys than Lipizzaner stallions, but never mind, the wild horses that roam through Assateague Island have a long and storied past. Legend has it that the horses escaped a Spanish galleon shipwrecked on the treacherous Atlantic shores. A less romantic explanation is that they're descended from horses brought to the island in the late 17th century by local landowners wanting to circumvent fencing laws. Today, visitors can see them or evidence of them (watch where you step) on both the Maryland and Virginia sides of this 37-mile (59.5-kilometer) barrier island. We spent a weekend tent camping on the pristine beaches of the National Seashore, and ran into them walking on the dunes, hiking near the marshes, even heading to the Port-a-Potty. While people should definitely keep their distance—the fillies may kick or bite—an encounter with a horse is less panic-producing than a run-in with a bear.

Ode to Cologne

Just like our mothership, IT sometimes lets stories gestate for a while. Or, at least that's our excuse for why Emily is only now—nine months after her return—birthing details about her trip to Cologne. Without further ado, she writes:

For phobics, one take-off is significantly better than two. Thus, when I found out I could take Continental's nonstop, overnight flight from Newark to Cologne, my desire to see the Rhineland outweighed my fear of spiraling headfirst into the ocean. To my chagrin, the 7.5 hour flight was easy, as was the transition from airport to destination: Within 30 minutes of landing, I was off the plane, through customs, into a cab, and standing directly in front of the city's Gothic icon—Cologne Cathedral. Conveniently perched across the street was our hotel, the Excelsior Hotel Ernst. Lavish by anyone's standards, the fact that it was independently owned and a historical landmark (not to mention smack dab in the heart of the city) made it the perfect place, if there is such a thing, to drop $350 per night.

Bio Bliss

IT encourages volunteering—especially if it's for our organization—so come help us take a species inventory of Rock Creek Park this weekend. The 24-hour BioBlitz—hosted by National Geographic and the National Parks Service—will bring together leading scientists (including E.O. Wilson), naturalists, and volunteers of all ages in an attempt to better understand, appreciate, and protect the biological diversity of the 1,783-acre park. Aside from collecting bugs and wildflowers, attendees may also listen to talks by experts, visit displays, and participate in a variety of children's activities. Personally, IT hopes to wade in the creek to find fish and catch bats with nets at night.

Can't make it to D.C. this weekend? National Geographic plans to sponsor a BioBlitz every year in a different city for the next nine years. We'll keep you posted.

The Beauty of Bathing

Assistant researcher Emily Haile recently spent a few days with family in upstate New York. She visited the Roosevelt Baths in Saratoga Springs, and wrote us this blissed-out post:

Roosevelt Baths' classical architecture and the pristine landscape of the surrounding Saratoga Spa State Park make you feel as if you've stepped into an Edith Wharton novel. For $25, you'll get a private room to relax in a golden, hot mineral bath that feels like being immersed in a glass of bubbly—the rising fizz that tickles your skin is said to increase circulation. For an extra $5, add scented oils like Minty Muscle or Adirondack Woods to complement your mood. After 30 minutes, an attendant knocks softly and you are given the option of staying in the tub or spending the last 10 minutes of your treatment lying on a massage table, blissfully wrapped in a warm towel. If soaking in curative waters isn't enough, the spa also offers a variety of services and packages including facials, manicures, scrubs and massages.

Arrive early for your bath—the price includes the use of the spa's facilities for the entire day including a steam room, fitness center, and locker room. For maximum effect, refrain from showering after your mineral bath and instead let the nutrients seep into your skin. The spa leaves you feeling and smelling like a rose–so much so that I didn't even care when I learned that it was recently exposed to be topping off its baths with—gasp—ordinary tap water!