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Finding travel podcasts: am I a tech knucklehead?

Internet Cat (lolcat courtesy tonyalmeida)It’s sort of embarrassing how the Podcasts have invaded our home like This Week in Travel and Rolf Potts Deviate.

Sainted Husband got a Shuffle when an in-law upgraded, we got our teen daughter a Nano for her birthday, then I pouted so much that I got one for Mother’s Day.

Although I use mine extensively to keep from losing my mind during today’s abysmal air travel experience, I have yet to download travel-related podcasts like audio tours.

Since I’m heading back to Chicago for my favorite blogging conference,  I decided to experiment, and check out a download or two on my iPod.

I’m new at this, so I went super-basic….I Googled “Chicago travel podcast.”

Promising returns included The Amateur Traveler Chicago podcast, featuring Mark Peacock from Travel Commons to talk about the city. However, when I did my thing at “click here to download,” my laptop booted up the QuickTime player (which I thought was only for movies.)

The audio played just fine from the box on my laptop screen, but how to put the blasted thing onto my own iPod had me flummoxed (and I like to think I’m not a total tech idiot.) Right click, fiddle, poke….nothing.

So, I went on a hunt on the Amateur Traveler site for a tab labeled something like, “What To Do If You’re All Messed Up And Can’t Download Stuff Without Getting a Giant Blue Q.”

When I tried “Subscribe in iTunes,” my iTunes software booted up and I landed on the Amateur Traveler Podcast page in the iTunes Store, where I could download to my heart’s content.

Well, alrighty then.

The same thing happened when I tried to download the Indie Travel Podcast’s Planning a Road Trip episode; I got The Blue Q.  When I punched the site’s widget labeled “Free Video and Podcast in iTunes,” I landed in the Indie Travel Podcast iTunes store, no problem.

Now, you’d think I’d take a hint and stay in the iTunes store and use their Search box to locate travel podcasts. I tried that, but I don’t have confidence that I can actually find relevant material there, because when I searched for “Chicago travel podcast” directly in iTunes search, nothing came up from Amateur Traveler.

[Insert one of my salty Navy expletives here.]

So, readers, where do YOU go for quality travel-related podcasts and audio tours (and what’s with the danged Blue Q?)

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Product Reviews Tips

Why your family should consider travel insurance: a cautionary tale

Plane taking off (courtesy Simon Grubb at Flickr CC)When does it make sense to buy family travel insurance?

Vacation packages and cruises are often expensive, nonrefundable deals. If some crisis occurs, or you or someone in your family gets sick, you will often find it difficult or impossible to get your money back.  A travel insurance policy can give you peace of mind before the expense of big-ticket vacations. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance can cover you in case of the unexpected.

I normally don’t mess with it because I’m an independent operator, not a package traveler, and it’s not usually worth buying it for a $300 Southwest Airlines plane ticket or a hotel room for a few nights. Right now, however, I am bemoaning the fact that I did not buy third party travel insurance (meaning it is sold by a company totally separate from whichever business you are paying for their tour package.)

My teen daughter was scheduled for a language-immersion high school school trip to France this summer. The tour company, Voyageur Tours, suddenly went bankrupt last week.It’s been a respected company since 1992, so this was a complete surprise.

The full story, featuring me as “the travel writer who was unfortunately bitten by lack of travel insurance,” is on the Austin-area NBC affiliate KXAN News Web site:  Parents mad after bankrupt student tour.

I did not follow my own advice with my daughter’s trip; I’ve written that although many tour companies and cruise lines offer insurance,  I recommend buying it from a separate, reputable company. It’s the “eggs in one basket” theory; if a tour company or cruise line or airline suddenly goes out of business, I don’t want to be insured through them and not only lose my vacation, but also my compensation for the lost vacation.

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Product Reviews Tips USA

Tired of flying or driving with the kids? Consider MegaBus

(This is a guest post by Sherry Ott, from her recent trip via MegaBus. I’ve been curious about these newer budget bus services, so I asked for her reactions. Thanks, Sherry!)

All aboard the MegaBus for budget travel (courtesy MegaBus)Travel on the US East Coast has changed.  “Taking the bus” is no longer looked down upon; in fact, it is quickly becoming the transportation choice up and down the coast and in the Northeast (and expanding to the Midwest.)

I’ve ridden buses all over the world, but I recently took MegaBus from New York City to Boston to give this American version of budget bus travel a try.

Ticketing

Megabus is hip to technology, so the best and easiest way to purchase your tickets is online at www.megabus.com. It’s a pretty standard web ticketing process, however I did manage to screw my ticket up (all my own fault) and booked 1:30AM instead of 1:30PM and realized this the day before I was to leave.

My screw up in ticketing allowed me to test out the purchase ticket in person option too – so for review purposes it worked out!

You can purchase tickets at a little booth across from the loading area in New York City.  The people there weren’t the friendliest, but they were quick.  Unfortunately when I went to rectify my ticket situation in person (as the call center person suggested I do), I found out that there were no more tickets left to sell for my bus and I would have to wait Standby.  This wasn’t exactly in alignment with what the customer service agent said, so the whole situation had my travel stress level quite high.

Boarding

The boarding process reminded me of kindergarten.

Everyone had to stand in line, in the hot sun, while ONE guy tried to go around and check everyone’s tickets.  There were no signs for the lines, which resulted in a very inefficient process of people arriving and interrupting the ONE guy checking tickets to find out where to go. The seats were not assigned on the bus (note from Sheila: this could get interesting with kids) so once you got on, you chose your seat.  One guy also loaded luggage – so the whole process seemed a bit slow, and hence our bus took off about 20 minutes late.

Luggage

I found out once I arrived at the loading area that MegaBus has a strict ONE bag policy.  Unfortunately I had two – plus a carry-on with laptop.  They clearly have the luggage policy labeled on their website, but I apparently missed it.  They don’t technically check luggage or provide receipts, but instead you place your ONE piece of luggage in the storage area of the bus.  I got around the policy by asking a woman next to me in line who didn’t need to check a bag to claim mine – whew.  It appeared the luggage policy was very loosely applied without a lot of predictability.

Cost

Even though the prices are like travel in less developed countries, the style isn’t.  In Vietnam, a four hour backpack bus trip to Mui Ne cost me about $10USD – and so did this trip to Boston!

The prices are great – especially if you book in advance.  The ticketing online provides you a confirmation number which you simply show to the guy checking you in.  Many people simply held up their phones and showed him the number; no need to print out a receipt.

For families this is an excellent option as a family of four stood with me in the Standby line and bought all of their tickets for $100; much cheaper than four airline tickets!

The Ride

This is where MegaBus as compared to airline travel shines…each seat has a power outlet, and free wireless internet access is available to all.  The signal was great and I had no problem using that signal for four hours.

Each seat was reclinable, and fairly comfortable.  However, one downside about the seating was that unless you have a small notebook computer, the laptop space is really  cramped since there isn’t much room to put the laptop on your lap without hitting the back of the seat in front of you.  This setup made it really hard to type; practically impossible.  Plus – at times, the ride was rather bouncy, so if you are prone to motion sickness – working on your laptop might not be the best thing to do.  The setup was great for watching movies – but a bit of a pain to type of this review.

Tips To Make the Experience Better

My best advice is to bring a  jacket, even in the summer.  The bus became very cold after two hours.  The temperature didn’t seem to regulate.  Even the big guy next to me got cold!

Also – make sure you bring some snacks.  On my 4 ½ hour trip to Boston, we didn’t stop once – so be prepared.

Overall Impression

I’d use MegaBus again, but I would also recommend to book in advance; Standby was a bit of a pain.

It definitely was more simple and cheaper than my other options to get to Boston; air or train.  Plus, I found it to be just as comfortable AND I was able to have an internet connection!  Bravo MegaBus!

To learn more about MegaBus in the US, go to their website at https://us.megabus.com and see their routes all over the US which provide some great alternatives to short air travel!  You can also follow them on twitter at @megabus or on the MegaBus Facebook page.

Sherry Ott is a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger and photographer. She’s a co-founder of Briefcase to Backpack, a website offering career break travel inspiration and advice. She also runs an around the world travel blog, writing about her travel and expat adventures at Ottsworld.

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Blog Product Reviews Texas Tips USA

Gowalla and Foursquare lead traveler to House of Pies

Slice of Bayou Goo pie from Houston's House of Pies (photo by Sheila Scarborough)In my tourism training hat, people often ask me about the utility of location-based services like Gowalla and Foursquare.

Here’s an example of why they’re so handy….

I was speaking in Houston at the TFEA (Texas Festivals and Events Association) annual conference, and I needed a quick meal near the hotel.  It was a rather ritzy area – at one point I tweeted, “I’m looking for a Taco Bell in a Smith and Wollensky part of town” – but I did find a sandwich joint where I could run in and out and get something to go.

While parked, I checked in on both Gowalla and Foursquare, because I’m experimenting with them for my tourism-related clients. Both services use the GPS function on my T-Mobile Android smartphone to figure out where I am, and then show me nearby places that are listed in their database.

Both kept showing a nearby House of Pies.

Who wouldn’t want pie after a long drive and before a big speaking gig the next day?  Who has kids and spouses who like pie?

I rest my case.

Without the digital insights from Gowalla and Foursquare (and Yelp if I had launched that app, which also has a location-based function and checkins) I would not have noticed the neon-lit House of Pies building diagonally across the parking lot from me on Westheimer, a major Houston thoroughfare. There’s also a House of Pies on Houston’s Kirby Drive and they’re on Twitter as @HouseofPies1967.

One slice of their house specialty later, I was a fan of their Bayou Goo pie (a “pecan crust with a layer of sweet cream cheese, then a layer of vanilla custard swirled with chocolate chunks and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings”) and even more of a fan of location-based services that bring me the information I need, when I need it, where I am located.

It’s hard to beat that convenience at 9 pm in an unfamiliar city, I’ll tell you!

Take a close look at privacy and notification settings before you use these; the default setting tends to be a public broadcasting of your location via Twitter, Facebook, etc. and you need to think through those implications. You can choose not to inform anyone when you check in, of course; Foursquare calls it “off the grid.”

If you have a smartphone, consider getting one of these free travel apps – I’m partial to Gowalla because it has a scavenger hunt aspect that kids will like, and lots of cool Trips for travel ideas. For more insights, here’s Gary Arndt’s post Gowalla vs Foursquare as tools for travel.

These services can really help with the “what’s around here?” question as you travel.

(This post was included in the 21 July edition of Wanderfood Wednesday. Check it out for other foodie posts!)

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Finding the best iPhone and iPad apps for kids

Best Kids Apps logo (courtesy BestKidsApps)I know, I know….the kids should simply “look out the window at the scenery” on trips….like we did, right?

(Did you cringe the first time that phrase came out of your mouth as a parent?  Did you think, OMG what Old Geezer thing will I say next – “We walked five miles to school through the snow, barefoot, going uphill.”)

As usual, I digress….

Many parents of young children are finding that games and apps (applications) on their iPhone or new iPad are ideal for keeping certain squirmy family members quiet and amused, especially during long trips.

I’ve found a marvelous resource for you:  while participating in the This Week in Travel podcast (go here for our episode – Spirit Air and Ryanair compete to suck the most) I chatted with co-host Jen Leo about her experiences traveling with her first child, daughter Cora.

Jen told me about a site that she runs with Jamie Pearson, called Best Kids Apps – “we play all the iPhone games so you don’t have to.”  Yay!

App games are broken out by age group and by type (Educational, Creative, Just for Fun, etc.)  There’s just a ton of helpful info there for you app-collectors.

More good news: they have a post up on the best iPad apps for kids, AND they’re giving away an iPad for Mother’s Day (details to follow.)

Want to see a how a kid who has grown up in a touchscreen world reacts to the iPad?  Pretty interesting stuff in the video below from Todd Lapin on Laughing Squid; here’s his blog post about this “UI (User Interface) experiment” – A 2.5 Year-Old Uses an iPad for the First Time

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Product Reviews Tips USA

Get outdoors with REI classes and clinics

REI logoI have not had a chance to try it myself, but have been intrigued by some of the travel-related offerings from the sporting goods/outdoor company REI (which just opened a LEED-certified green store located in my current hometown of Round Rock, Texas.)

The Austin American-Statesman had a blurb yesterday about a free REI clinic for parents who want to take an outdoor adventure trip with their kids. The speaker is Mark Altman, who bicycled across the US with his wife and 4 kids (wow!) before his deployment with the Army to Iraq.

I have another commitment and can’t attend, but do wish that my family and I did more outdoorsy sorts of travel. It’s hard to get psyched to do it in the Texas heat – we keep hitting triple digits and it’s only June – but I keep vowing to get out there when conditions aren’t miserable.

A clinic like this would seem like just the ticket, and with an REI right up the road from my house, I’m kind of out of excuses for motivation.
Blog Directory for Round Rock, Texas

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Product Reviews Tips USA

Where to feed the kids: Waffle House

waffle-house-signIf you live in the US South, you probably know about Waffle House.

Based in Georgia, this restaurant chain has locations in 25 states, most of them in the South and Southeast although there are some outliers in the Midwest, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico and as far north as Pennsylvania.

It is known as a sit-down place with food that is served quickly, and all of the restaurants are open 24 hours, 365 days.

Until recently it was cash-only, but now many accept credit cards.  Since a meal there is pretty inexpensive, this isn’t too much of a hassle. They serve a wide variety of food, rather like a Denny’s, including standard dishes like Bert’s Chili.

waffle-house-pecan-waffleAs far as I’m concerned, the only other place (besides my husband and Mom’s kitchens) that makes better pecan waffles is the Homemade Cafe in Berkeley, California.

It’s good to go to Waffle House occasionally with kids because:

1)  The food comes very quickly; always a blessing with itchy children.

2)  The price is right. This is a budget joint but the portions are generous.

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Travel insurance update: Voyageur Tours school trips bankruptcy

I wanted to follow up on my original post about the Voyageur Tours bankruptcy. It caused the cancellation of my teen daughter’s school trip to France this summer, and led me to take a hard look at travel insurance and then write this post:

Why your family should consider travel insurance: a cautionary tale

We’re still pretty much out of luck for getting most of our money back, which is why I should have bought third party travel insurance (NOT the insurance offered by the tour company itself, since it is worthless because of the bankruptcy) or family travel insurance.

A chunk of the trip fee, about $1600, was charged to our Chase Visa credit card, and after going through the “Dispute this charge” process on the account, we were told by a customer service representative today that the amount would be refunded to our account since the service charged was unsatisfactory.

It’s usually pretty easy to dispute charges on any card – log on to your credit card account online and look for a little flag or a link somewhere, with a phrase like “Dispute this charge,” then follow the instructions.   Have a solid reason for disputing and be able to back it up.

One big drawback of debit cards (and I use mine all the time) is that they generally don’t have such simple or generous dispute methods.  Sometimes, “cash on the barrelhead” is not the way to go.

Thanks, Chase, for helping salvage some of our financial loss.

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Hotel deals to help your travel budget

Planning on some summer day trips with the kids?  Turn at least one of them into an overnighter with a free night at one of the Intercontinental Hotels properties.

Guests can earn a free night by registering at https://www.GetAFreeNight.com and staying two nights at any Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites around the world (except for Japan) between May 4 and July 3, 2009.

I racked up my two nights this past weekend; I had to go to two different areas in Houston anyway to research my upcoming articles for Texas Highways magazine, so after a search for good rate on the InterContinental Hotels (ICH) Group Web site, I landed at two different Candlewood Suites on Friday and Saturday night.

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Philosophy Product Reviews Tips

Why security concerns prevent me from using TripIt

burglar-alarm-courtesy-takomabibelot-on-flickr-ccI’ve registered on the TripIt travel plan sharing site, but I haven’t posted any of my own travel plans.

I’m pretty comfortable with online transparency across social media networks, but this one gives me the creepies. Here’s why….

Way back when I was a kid, I read a book by a convicted thief entitled “Are You Safe From Burglars?”

I wouldn’t say it made me hyper-concerned about burglars stealing from my home, but since then I’ve always been rather careful about preparing my house before a trip so that it doesn’t look empty and inviting to thieves.

Deadbolt locks, lights on timers, suspending newspaper deliveries, yard service keeping things mowed. You know, the usual.

My concern with TripIt, and any other time that I broadcast my travel plans too specifically on Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc. is that some smart person out there will say, “Sounds like a great time to go hit THAT house, since now I know that she won’t be in it.”

Of course, just because I’m gone doesn’t mean that some of my family isn’t still there, but why tempt Fate?

Yes, yes, I know that my plans on TripIt are only supposed to go to people I’ve allowed into my network, but does anyone really think that any online privacy or security set-up is that airtight?

Me, either.

It’s the nature of the digital beast. Assume no privacy, be reasonably cautious (and back up your data.)

Some might find it strange that I don’t worry at all about arranging get-togethers via Twitter with people I’ve never met in person (“tweet-ups”) and I don’t worry about the Booger Man showing up at such events and clocking me over the head, but I do worry about giving too much information to the Burglar Man/Woman.

Everyone has their personal firewall when it comes to Web disclosure, and I guess TripIt is mine.

Your thoughts?  The comments section below is wide open for you….