TripCart :: The Travel Blog

2009 Fall Color Staycations

Well, its that time of the year again and for our readers in the right parts of the country - a compact vacation on a tank of gas. Sure, the fall festivals and quaint white church steeples make Vermont Fall Foliage a world-class destination, but, with the right timing (check out our friends at Foliage Network) and a warm sweater - you are ready to hit the parks and forests of the United States and watch the transition from Green to Yellow to Orange. (And we are not talking about the Terror Alert Status!).

Thanks toCheapOair Buzz for this picture:

Here is our 2009 fall foliage destination guide:

Fall Foliage around Boston:

Massachusetts Fall Foliage  is a no brainer - early in the season - head north to New Hampshire, later follow the coast south - from Maine to Connecticut. Nearest to Boston - try Lexington, Concord and Walden Pond. To really see the fall colors in style, consider one of the many Fall Foliage cruises leaving from New England ports - Rhode Island up to Maine.

NY Foliage:

Each borough - Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens (Alley Pond Park - Leaves and Tashlich), Brooklyn and even Staten Island has good and accessible leaf peeping - just hop on the subway (or ferry). Feeling a bit more adventurous, but still no car? You can get a hour-long moving show of Hudson Valley Foliage  from the train (Metro North). Make sure to get a seat on the left side of the train going north or the right going south. Skip rush hour for better fares and less cellphone chatter.

If you have a couple of days to dedicate to New York State fall foliage (and wine tours and more) head north early in the season, while Central Park is still green and check out the Adirondack fall foliage in September.

Chasing Fall Foliage South:

Global warming or not, the leaves change later as you go south. If you'd like to combine some foliage viewing with an urban weekend and maybe take in a show or get tickets for a football game - pick a different city each weekend from Boston down to Washington DC. Philadelphia is a good place for your Fall Foliage PA headquarters and a drive up the Potomac is a great way to see the Maryland Fall Foliage 30 minutes out of the Capital.

Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Mountains lose their crowds and turn yellow, gold and red in the fall and late October is a good time to close out the West Virginia fall foliage season.

And for the 3 people a year who search for "Pittsburgh fall foliage" - we have two pointers - Grandview Avenue and Fallingwater.

For our fans out west:

Its a different experience, the Colorado fall colors, the wild-west towns, the snow covered peaks (and sometimes even, the snow) and the mix of evergreens and aspens. Fall Foliage in Colorado  can be less than an hour outside of Denver - try Georgetown, or a bit further, Estes Park.

Further south, you can even find some decent New Mexico fall foliage spots near Albuquerque, Santa Fe  and in the Four Corners region of the state.

And what would a back to school season trip be without visiting the shopping malls?

Well, its that time of the year again and for our readers in the right parts of the country - a compact vacation on a tank of gas. Sure, the fall festivals and quaint white church steeples make Vermont Fall Foliage a world-class destination, but, with the right timing (check out our friends at Foliage Network) and a warm sweater - you are ready to hit the parks and forests of the United States and watch the transition from Green to Yellow to Orange. (And we are not talking about the Terror Alert Status!).

Thanks toCheapOair Buzz for this picture:

Here is our 2009 fall foliage destination guide:

Fall Foliage around Boston:

Massachusetts Fall Foliage  is a no brainer - early in the season - head north to New Hampshire, later follow the coast south - from Maine to Connecticut. Nearest to Boston - try Lexington, Concord and Walden Pond. To really see the fall colors in style, consider one of the many Fall Foliage cruises leaving from New England ports - Rhode Island up to Maine.

NY Foliage:

Each borough - Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens (Alley Pond Park - Leaves and Tashlich), Brooklyn and even Staten Island has good and accessible leaf peeping - just hop on the subway (or ferry). Feeling a bit more adventurous, but still no car? You can get a hour-long moving show of Hudson Valley Foliage  from the train (Metro North). Make sure to get a seat on the left side of the train going north or the right going south. Skip rush hour for better fares and less cellphone chatter.

If you have a couple of days to dedicate to New York State fall foliage (and wine tours and more) head north early in the season, while Central Park is still green and check out the Adirondack fall foliage in September.

Chasing Fall Foliage South:

Global warming or not, the leaves change later as you go south. If you'd like to combine some foliage viewing with an urban weekend and maybe take in a show or get tickets for a football game - pick a different city each weekend from Boston down to Washington DC. Philadelphia is a good place for your Fall Foliage PA headquarters and a drive up the Potomac is a great way to see the Maryland Fall Foliage 30 minutes out of the Capital.

Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Mountains lose their crowds and turn yellow, gold and red in the fall and late October is a good time to close out the West Virginia fall foliage season.

And for the 3 people a year who search for "Pittsburgh fall foliage" - we have two pointers - Grandview Avenue and Fallingwater.

For our fans out west:

Its a different experience, the Colorado fall colors, the wild-west towns, the snow covered peaks (and sometimes even, the snow) and the mix of evergreens and aspens. Fall Foliage in Colorado  can be less than an hour outside of Denver - try Georgetown, or a bit further, Estes Park.

Further south, you can even find some decent New Mexico fall foliage spots near Albuquerque, Santa Fe  and in the Four Corners region of the state.

And what would a back to school season trip be without visiting the shopping malls?

Southwest and Bar Refaeli help TripCart kick off Beach season

While half of the United States is buried in snow, Southwest airlines has decided to help out TripCart and cheer up the freezing citizens of the east coast by kicking off Beach Season. They even went to the trouble of painting a plane that will inspire people to plan their beach vacation on TripCart. You should not have trouble spotting this plane, pictured above but for the die-hard aviation nuts out there, the plane can be identified by the FAA Registration number on the tail of the 737-7H4 model, which is:

N922WN

Here are some popular beach destinations that Southwest flies to:

When you are finished with the Orlando, Florida places to visit, head to the coast for more places to visit in Florida -caladesi island state park, bathtub beach and sebastian inlet.

All over California - from glass beach in the north through pismo beach and  bolsa chica beach all the way to blacks beach in San Diego.Besides beaches, there are certainly lots of places to visit around Los Angeles, California

Besides the Norfolk, VA James river cruises, down the coast from Norfolk into North Carolina, follow in the footsteps of the Wright Brothers (without whom Bar Refaeli might not be decaled onto a 737) and visit Wrightsville Beach,Hammocks Beach State Park or Hatteras Beach.

And if a subway ride from JFK is about as exotic as you are getting this summer, head to Riis Beach, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn or - if you are a fan of the Ramones - Rock Rock Rock Rock Rockaway Beach. Then head back to the city and enjoy some of the fun things to do in Manhattan and NYC.

Shopping Malls – a tremendous boost to TripCart.Com

Buying, fashion, holiday, lifestyle, mall, Malls, Outlet, outlets, selling, shop, shopping, Shops, tech, technology, Travel Blog, travel blogs, trip, vacation, weblogs

It's almost 4 months since I've dived into our Web analyst's monthly report. Usually I'm quite satisfied with the improvements in the bottom line numbers. Now, that I was looking at other things of interest I've realized that since our Christmas success we've experienced a continuous traffic growth in the Shopping Centers and Outlet Malls segment of our website.

I've decided it's about time to write another nice post about our joint effort.

From the SW department I've been informed that in few days we're gonna release a completely new SW version that would upgrade the user's experience, especially in the Attraction pages, introducing new planning features. "Good job!!!"

And now for the fun part. Here's the list the most popular Shopping Centers / Outlet Malls as it was ordered by our Web analyst to reflect the number of entries they got between the 1st of January and Ending of April:

1. Broward Mall - Plantation, Florida
2. Roosevelt Field Mall - Long Island, New York
3. Smithhaven Mall - Lake Grove, New York
4. Natick Mall - Massachusetts
5. Prime Outlets Mall - Orlando, Florida
6. Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall - Sunrise, Florida
7. Southridge Mall - Greendale, Wisconsin
8. The Avenues Mall - Jacksonville, Florida
9. Dolphin Outlet Mall - Miami, Florida
10. Solomon Pond Mall - Marlborough, Massachusetts
11. Del Amo Mall Fashion Center - Torrance, California
12. St. Louis Mills Outlet Mall - Hazelwood, Missouri
13. Katy Mills Outlet Mall - Texas
14. The Galleria Mall - Houston, Texas
15. Dadeland Mall - Miami, Florida
16. Northgate Mall - Seattle, Washington
17. Clackamas Town Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
18. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Mall - New York
19. Palisades Center Mall - New York
20. Franklin Mills Outlet Mall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21. Oakbrook Mall - Oak Brook, Illinois
22. Ontario Mills Outlet Mall - California
23. Colorado Mills Outlet Mall - Lakewood, Colorado
24. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall - Prince William, Virginia
25. Alderwood Mall - Lynnwood, Washington
26. Stoneridge Mall - Pleasanton, California
27. Bellevue Square Mall - Washington
28. Ross Park Mall - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
29. Tysons Corner Center Mall - Virginia
30. Pearlridge Shopping Center - Aiea, Hawaii
31. Cabazon Outlet Mall - California
32. Gravois Bluffs Plaza - Fenton, Missouri
33. Westfield South Shore Mall - Bayshore, New York
34. Westfield Santa Anita Mall - Arcadia, California
35. Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall - Illinois
36. Walden Galleria - Buffalo, New York
37. Washington Square Mall - Portland, Oregon
38. Lloyd Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
39. Colonial Bell Air Mall - Mobile, Alabama
40. Arundel Mills Mall - Hanover, Maryland
41. Mall at Millenia - Orlando, Florida
42. Oxford Valley Mall - Langhorne, Pennsylvania
43. Monmouth Mall - Eatontown, New Jersey
44. The Florida Mall - Orlando, Florida
45. Green Acres Mall - Valley Stream, New York
46. Fashion Valley Mall - San Diego, California
47. The Designer Outlet Gallery - Secaucus, New Jersey
48. The Mall at Stonecrest - Lithonia, Georgia
49. Opry Mills Outlet Mall - Nashville, Tennessee
50. Mayfair Mall - Wisconsin
51. Deerbrook Mall - Humble, Texas
52. Brea Mall - California
53. South Coast Plaza Mall - Costa Mesa, California
54. Willowbrook Mall - Wayne, New Jersey
55. Park City Center Mall - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
56. Memorial City Mall - Houston, Texas
57. Gulf Coast Town Center - Fort Myers, Florida
58. Sunrise Mall - Long Island, New York
59. Cherry Creek Mall - Denver, Colorado
60. Burlington Center Mall - Massachusetts
61. West Town Mall - Knoxville, Tennessee
62. Aventura Mall - Miami, Florida
63. White Marsh Mall - Baltimore, Maryland
64. South Shore Plaza - Braintree, Massachusetts
65. Los Cerritos Center Mall - Cerritos, California
66. Seminole Towne Center Mall - Sanford, Florida
67. Providence Place Mall - Rhode Island
68. Freehold Raceway Mall - New Jersey
69. Ala Moana Center Mall - Honolulu, Hawaii
70. Lakeline Mall - Cedar Park, Texas
71. Fayette Mall - Lexington, Kentucky
72. King of Prussia Mall - Pennsylvania
73. Woodfield Mall - Schaumburg, Illinois
74. Walt Whitman Mall - Huntington Station, New York
75. Staten Island Mall - New York
76. International Plaza Mall - Tampa, Florida
77. Fashion Island Mall - Newport Beach, California
78. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall - Arizona
79. Mall of Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
80. Broadway Mall - Hicksville, New York
81. Tacoma Mall - Washington
82. Ridgedale Center Mall - Minnetonka, Minnesota
83. Victoria Gardens Mall - California
84. Augusta Mall - Georgia
85. Cielo Vista Mall - El Paso, Texas
86. NorthTown Mall - Blaine, Minnesota
87. Glendale Galleria Mall - California
88. Arizona Mills Outlet Mall - Tempe, Arizona
89. Montgomery Mall - North Wales, Pennsylvania
90. Lynnhaven Mall - Virginia Beach, Virginia
91. Highland Mall - Austin, Texas
92. Ingram Park Mall - San Antonio, Texas
93. The Tucson Mall - Arizona
94. Hamilton Place Mall - Chattanooga, Tennessee
95. Fair Oaks Mall - Fairfax, Virginia
96. Westfield Valley Fair Mall - Santa Clara, California
97. Battlefield Mall - Springfield, Missouri
98. Orland Square Mall - Orland Park, Illinois
99. Forum At Olympia Parkway - Selma, Texas
100. Baybrook Mall - Friendswood, Texas
101. University Mall - Tampa, Florida
102. Park Place Mall - Tucson, Arizona
103. Citadel Mall - Charleston, South Carolina
104. WestGate Mall - Spartanburg, South Carolina
105. Tanger Outlet Center - Park City, Utah
106. Southland Mall - Miami, Florida
107. Christiana Mall - Newark, Delaware
108. Springfield Mall - Virginia
109. Dulles Town Center Mall - Virginia
110. Deptford Mall - New Jersey
111. Stanford Shopping Center Mall - Palo Alto, California
112. South Hills Village - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
113. Valley View Mall - Roanoke, Virginia
114. Regency Mall - Racine, Wisconsin
115. Jefferson Mall - Louisville, Kentucky
116. Westfield Topanga Mall - Canoga Park, California
117. Orlando Premium Outlet Mall - Florida
118. Altamonte Mall - Altamonte Springs, Florida
119. Short Pump Town Center Mall - Richmond, Virginia
120. Wrentham Village Premium Outlets - Massachusetts
121. Mall of America - Bloomington, Minnesota
122. Southland Mall - Hayward, California
123. Discover Mills Outlet Mall - Lawrenceville, Georgia
124. The Mall at Robinson - Pennsylvania
125. SuperMall - Auburn, Washington
126. Cumberland Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
127. The Woodlands Mall - Houston, Texas
128. Zion Factory Stores, The Promenade at Red Cliff - St. George, Utah
129. Barton Creek Square Mall - Austin, Texas
130. North Point Mall - Alpharetta, Georgia
131. Perimeter Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
132. Mall of Georgia - Buford, Georgia
133. Golf Mill Mall - Niles, Illinois
134. Fashion Square Mall - Saginaw, Michigan
135. Eastview Mall - Victor, New York

Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens

We at TripCart had realized that we need to simplify the access to our content. Positioning ourselves as "The Travel Site" when it comes to planning your trip around Tourist Attractions we've realized we need to restructure the site exactly in that domain. Our Design and R&D teams had gathered in a brainstorm and now all the company is in that turmoil.

On the other hand our content team is catching up on uncovered topics. The Content Manager together with our Web Analyst, had collected a list of major Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens to be completed by the end of the month. Working fast, the writers and editors finished the task 2 weeks in advance.

We at TripCart had realized that we need to simplify the access to our content. Positioning ourselves as "The Travel Site" when it comes to planning your trip around Tourist Attractions we've realized we need to restructure the site exactly in that domain. Our Design and R&D teams had gathered in a brainstorm and now all the company is in that turmoil.

On the other hand our content team is catching up on uncovered topics. The Content Manager together with our Web Analyst, had collected a list of major Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens to be completed by the end of the month. Working fast, the writers and editors finished the task 2 weeks in advance.

Shopping Malls – a Traffic report that amazed our Web Analyst

Our Web analyst has released his monthly report last week covering the various page categories of our site, and the traffic channels in general that played a major role on our site's December traffic. In our Shopping Malls / Outlet Malls category, we’ve expected to see some spike of traffic around Christmas but we've never thought it could be that high. The amazing thing about it is the fact that the traffic for this category does not decay, and his January predictions are even slightly higher.

BTW, the bad news here (according to his study), is that visitors to these pages are more likely to leave our site – if you have any ideas on the causes for such behavior, please share them with us.

They asked me not to expose our actual numbers, but I couldn’t resist exposing the highlight shopping mall page among the few hundreds that we currently cover – it was viewed 845 times during the month of December. It’s the first on my following list that is ordered by TripCart’s popularity ranking report.

1. Smithhaven Mall - Lake Grove, New York
2. Willowbrook Mall - Wayne, New Jersey
3. Roosevelt Field Mall - Long Island, New York
4. Broward Mall - Plantation, Florida
5. Gravois Bluffs Plaza - Fenton, Missouri
6. Fayette Mall - Lexington, Kentucky
7. Colonial Bell Air Mall - Mobile, Alabama
8. Southridge Mall - Greendale, Wisconsin
9. Memorial City Mall - Houston, Texas
10. Sunrise Mall - Long Island, New York
11. Westfield South Shore Mall - Bayshore, New York
12. Ala Moana Center Mall - Honolulu, Hawaii
13. Lenox Square Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
14. Walt Whitman Mall - Huntington Station, New York
15. Clackamas Town Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
16. Tysons Corner Center Mall - Virginia
17. St. Louis Mills Outlet Mall - Hazelwood, Missouri
18. Citadel Mall - Charleston, South Carolina
19. Walden Galleria - Buffalo, New York
20. Deerbrook Mall - Humble, Texas
21. Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall - Sunrise, Florida
22. Baybrook Mall - Friendswood, Texas
23. The Designer Outlet Gallery - Secaucus, New Jersey
24. Augusta Mall - Georgia
25. Pearlridge Shopping Center - Aiea, Hawaii
26. Montgomery Mall - North Wales, Pennsylvania
27. Palisades Center Mall - New York
28. Natick Mall - Massachusetts
29. Green Acres Mall - Valley Stream, New York
30. Regency Mall - Racine, Wisconsin
31. Broadway Mall - Hicksville, New York
32. Massaponax Factory Outlet Stores - Fredericksburg, Virginia
33. Prime Outlets Mall - Orlando, Florida
34. Lloyd Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
35. Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall - Illinois
36. The Galleria Mall - Houston, Texas
37. Staten Island Mall - New York
38. Ontario Mills Outlet Mall - California
39. Mayfair Mall - Wisconsin
40. Discover Mills Outlet Mall - Lawrenceville, Georgia
41. Lynnhaven Mall - Virginia Beach, Virginia
42. Dolphin Outlet Mall - Miami, Florida
43. Mall of Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
44. Ridgedale Center Mall - Minnetonka, Minnesota
45. The Woodlands Mall - Houston, Texas
46. Cabazon Outlet Mall - California
47. Aventura Mall - Miami, Florida
48. Washington Square Mall - Portland, Oregon
49. Oxford Valley Mall - Langhorne, Pennsylvania
50. Glendale Galleria Mall - California
51. Katy Mills Outlet Mall - Texas
52. University Mall - Tampa, Florida
53. Jefferson Mall - Louisville, Kentucky
54. Freehold Raceway Mall - New Jersey
55. Southland Mall - Miami, Florida
56. Lakeline Mall - Cedar Park, Texas
57. Dulles Town Center Mall - Virginia
58. Alderwood Mall - Lynnwood, Washington
59. Tacoma Mall - Washington
60. Deptford Mall - New Jersey
61. The Florida Mall - Orlando, Florida
62. The Mall at Stonecrest - Lithonia, Georgia
63. Highland Mall - Austin, Texas
64. Franklin Mills Outlet Mall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
65. Woodfield Mall - Schaumburg, Illinois
66. Mall of America - Bloomington, Minnesota
67. Burlington Center Mall - Massachusetts
68. The Tucson Mall - Arizona
69. Monmouth Mall - Eatontown, New Jersey
70. Ross Park Mall - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
71. Brea Mall - California
72. Dadeland Mall - Miami, Florida
73. Opry Mills Outlet Mall - Nashville, Tennessee
74. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall - Arizona
75. Christiana Mall - Newark, Delaware
76. West Town Mall - Knoxville, Tennessee
77. Willowbrook Mall - Houston, Texas
78. Stanford Shopping Center Mall - Palo Alto, California
79. Fair Oaks Mall - Fairfax, Virginia
80. Del Amo Mall Fashion Center - Torrance, California
81. Perimeter Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
82. Mall at Millenia - Orlando, Florida
83. Fashion Valley Mall - San Diego, California
84. Cumberland Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
85. Stoneridge Mall - Pleasanton, California
86. Hamilton Place Mall - Chattanooga, Tennessee
87. Springfield Mall - Virginia
88. Mall of Georgia - Buford, Georgia
89. Fashion Island Mall - Newport Beach, California
90. Valley View Mall - Roanoke, Virginia
91. South Coast Plaza Mall - Costa Mesa, California
92. Park Place Mall - Tucson, Arizona
93. Bellevue Square Mall - Washington
94. Southland Mall - Hayward, California
95. Victoria Gardens Mall - California
96. Arundel Mills Mall - Hanover, Maryland
97. North Point Mall - Alpharetta, Georgia
98. Colorado Mills Outlet Mall - Lakewood, Colorado
99. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Mall - New York
100. Solomon Pond Mall - Marlborough, Massachusetts
101. South Shore Plaza - Braintree, Massachusetts
102. The Avenues Mall - Jacksonville, Florida
103. Westfield Valley Fair Mall - Santa Clara, California
104. Arizona Mills Outlet Mall - Tempe, Arizona
105. King of Prussia Mall - Pennsylvania
106. Altamonte Mall - Altamonte Springs, Florida
107. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall - Prince William, Virginia
108. Providence Place Mall - Rhode Island
109. NorthTown Mall - Blaine, Minnesota
110. Park City Center Mall - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
111. Cherry Creek Mall - Denver, Colorado
112. WestGate Mall - Spartanburg, South Carolina
113. Northgate Mall - Seattle, Washington
114. The Citadel - Colorado Springs, Colorado
115. The Mall at Robinson - Pennsylvania
116. Oakbrook Mall - Oak Brook, Illinois
117. Zion Factory Stores, The Promenade at Red Cliff - St. George, Utah
118. International Plaza Mall - Tampa, Florida
119. Westfield Santa Anita Mall - Arcadia, California
120. Los Cerritos Center Mall - Cerritos, California
121. White Marsh Mall - Baltimore, Maryland

Picture of a Swimming Pool in Delaware

Swimming in Delaware.

(thanks wiseacre photo)

Valentine Vacation Getaways

It's almost time for Valentine's Day again.  Coastal Living has come up with their top 10 list of the best places to take your loved one in the middle of February.  Not surprisingly, all of their destinations involve water in one form or another. Here's their take on where to go with your sweetheart next week-

1. Naples, Florida - white sand, warm water, and a sophisticated art scene
2. New York, New York - more romantic cliches than you can shake a stick at
3. Barbados - classic Caribbean paradise featuring the best of English culture
4. Sausalito, California - a little eccentric city full of cafes and art galleries
5. Niagara Falls, Ontario - classic beauty covered in ice
6. Fairhope, Alabama - off the beaten path but full of art and antiques on Mobile Bay
7. Cannon Beach, Oregon - rugged mountains, 9 miles of beach, and more art
8. St. Michaels, Maryland - lots of history and less tourists than in the summertime
9. La Jolla, California - this "jewel" is great for surfing, sand and shopping
10. Outer Banks, North Carolina - an easy place to find your own secluded beach

Related posts: Run Your Pants Off in New York City • Cultural Overload in San Francisco • Top 10 Cities For One Night Stands (and Singles)

Related travel guides: Romantic Vacation Getaways in Orlando, Tampa and Central Florida • Romantic Vacation Getaways in Las Vegas, Lake Mead and the Nevada desert • Romantic Vacations in Los Angeles, Southern California • Romantic San Francisco, California • Romantic Manhattan - NYC

Recommended Highlights in the region: Sunrise Mall - Long Island, New York • Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort - Twin  Bridges, California • South Coast Plaza Mall - Costa Mesa, California • Whiteface Ski Resort - Wilmington, New York • Ontario Mills Outlet Mall - California • Southland Mall - Hayward, California • Vail Ski Resort - Colorado

Lighting It Up El Paso Style

Fred and Maria Loya's house gets lit up by over 100,000 lights this time of year. Every night at 6, 7 and 8 they kick on the lights, but they go full out by blasting the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's arrangement of "Mad Rush in Christmas" in one crazy display of Christmas cheer. The show continues to run until the New Year so if you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out, otherwise, you can get a little taste below-

65 Million Americans On the Move Over the Holidays

Get ready for the grind. AAA and the Travel Industry Association expect over 65 million Americans to get off their couches and travel at least 50 miles from home over the Christmas/New Year's holiday. 53 million will hit the roads, another 9 million will make friends with the TSA, and another 3 million souls will bus it or hit the rails. The report also says that airline tickets are averaging about $12 a more than last year and that about two-thirds of those traveling will be crashing at friend's or relative's houses.

Eating Solo on the Down-low

The holidays can be a little depressing for those who aren't around their loved ones, but being alone is never easy. There's a new website on the web aiming to at least make eating alone a little easier. SoloDining keeps tabs on the best restaurants in the US to eat at alone and tells you what makes them worth your while when you've got no one to go dutch with-

The SoloDining.com web site is chockfull of strategies and tips on how to increase your comfort and options as a solo/single diner, plus need-to-know information for anyone considering solo/single travel.

You'll get the scoop on notable solo-friendly restaurants across the United States and beyond. And while discovering what's out there, you'll learn what to look for and, "just as important," what solo dining amenities to suggest to your favorite restaurants. (Some need a bit of coaching about what solo diners want and love to receive from restaurants!)

The Washington Post also ran a story this week detailing the kind of hoops (half-bottles of wine and laptops to borrow for lunch, to name but a few) restaurants will jump through in order to cater to their guests eating by their lonesome because "They drink more, they eat more."

(thanks buzzfeed)

Boozing It Up on the Go and Other Ways to Please Your Travel Buddies

Oh man, if we had a nickel for every time we tried to catch a buzz while we were on the go and got stuck high and dry. The Washington Post has published their holiday guide for travelers and in the $50 or less category they've featured the minibar to go, in case you can't wait for a nip. 2 flasks and a collapsible stirrer are all included. To check out other travel "must haves" head to the WP's site or once you're able to focus again go to Flight 001 where they sell heaps of travel associated junk.

TSA OK's Pie

The Consumerist pick up this funny story about someone attempting to transport a pie through security this past week-

Not much fuss at the security pageant. We packed our liquids in our checked luggage, seeing no need to perform toilet mid-flight. A man waiting in line asked if it was okay to bring his pie on board.
"That aint't a liquid," said the TSA employee.
"Oh, good," said the man.
We refrained from asking aloud whether cherry pie filling was considered a gel.
"Unless it's sweet potato," she said.
"It is," he said.
"Then I'm gonna have to confiscate it!" said the TSA employee, to general laughter.

Turkey and Gravy...Soda

It's Thanksgiving, the family's gathered round, it's too early to break out the Whiskey, and Coke just doesn't seem classy enough for this shindig - no need to worry, Jones Soda Company will save the day with the appropriately flavored Turkey and Gravy Soda that will bring just the right amount of class to the occasion. Doesn't sound like your cup of tea, no fear, you can wet your whistle with one of their other flavors: Sweet Potato, Dinner Roll and Pea. If you think all this yummy soda's going to give you indigestion you can wash down the meal with the Antacid flavored soda. We haven't gotten word yet on how the Pea Soda and Gin taste together.

My Pumpkin Is Bigger Than Yours

There's only one place in the world where you can get high off of gas fumes while enjoying the Halloween festivities. The good folk at ConocoPhillips are opening up their doors to the whole family - you can take your loved ones to the gorgeous and lush LA refinery to enjoy the spectacle that is the world's largest Jack-O-Lantern. Conoco is expecting over 30,000 people to come and ogle the orange-painted, 3 million gallon storage tank. Unfortunately, the Smilin' Jack is only availble from 6 to 9 each night so make sure you get there early.

(thanks neatorama)

Quick! Head for the Hills!

That time of year is slowly creeping up on us again where it's time to pack the bags and head to your next of kin's for some holiday grubbing. If you feel like you can't take another year of hearing about Aunt Sally's bad back maybe you should take a vacation instead - at least, that's what Omni Hotels is proposing with their newest incentive program called "Run from the Relatives." From about a week before Thanksgiving until the week after New Year's you and the one you really love can hide out for 200 clams a night at Omni's in LA, San Diego and a few other spots. If $200 seems steep consider that it includes a $50 AmEx gift certificate and a list of excuses for why you bailed on the fams.

(thanks hotel hotsheet)

"Hey Man, What are you doing for International Talk Like a Pirate Day?"

It always happens around this time of year - the high of Labor Day has worn off, and now you start your frantic search for where to get your Blackbeard on for International Talk Like a Pirate Day. ITLPD was started eleven years back by two friends, a few years later humorist Dave Barry picked up on the idea, since then it's gone international.

But if ye don't know where to drop your anchors this September 19th, the Washington Post has a roundup on some of the better places to set sail for-

• Hunt around for the man himself at Blackbeard's Lodge on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. There's a free ferry to Blackbeard's old hangout and at Teach's Hole you can get your hands on "over 1000 items that relate to piracy."
• If you're more into a commercial thing then let Mickey get your back at the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride, now with new and improved Johnny Depp - new characters and movie enhancements have been added to this classic ride.  Afterward you and the fams can get right into the middle of the action at the Pirate's Dinner Adventure, there's meant to be lots of sword splay, action and vittles.
• Perhaps the appropriately planned (September 23rd) Portland Pirate Festival's the place for you this weekend - besides pirate music and souvenirs there'll be sword fights, cannon firings and plenty of reason to still talk like a pirate.