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?

Michael Jackson Concert Venues

As a tribute to Michael Jackson, we dug through the web to list some significant Michael Jackson concert venues in the United States. His last concert as part of a world tour in the United States was on January 27, 1989 (20 YEARS AGO!) in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, not far at all from Staples Center.

Other stops on the Bad World Tour were in:

• Kemper Arena in Kansas City
• Madison Square Garden in New York
• St. Louis Arena (demolished)
• Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY
• McNichols Sports Arena in Denver (demolished)
• Hartford Civic Center
• The Summit in Houston (now Lakewood Church)
  
• The Omni in Atlanta (demolished)
• Rosemont Horizon in Chicago
• Reunion Arena in Dallas
• Met Center in Minneapolis (demolished)
• Irvine Meadows Amphitheater (now known as Verizon Wireless - not to be confused with the Verizon Wireless in Virginia)
• The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit
• Capital Centre (demolished) in Washington DC
• Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland
• The Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey
• Civic Arena (now called the Mellon Arena) in Pittsburgh

Prior to that - The Jackson's 1984 Victory Tour took him to 17 US cities:

• Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO
• Texas Stadium in Dallas
• Gator Bowl in Jacksonville
• Giants Stadium in New Jersey
• Madison Square Garden in NY
• RFK Stadium in Washington, DC
• Neyland Stadium  in Knoxville
• Pontiac Silverdome  in Detroit
• Rich Stadium  in Buffalo
• JFK Stadium  in Philadelphia (demolished)
• Mile High Stadium  Denver
• Comiskey Park in  Chicago
• Cleveland Stadium
• Fulton County Stadium in  Atlanta (demolished)
• Miami's Orange Bowl
• Houston Astrodome
• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles

The Jackson's 1981 Triumph Tour took him to 39 US cities. I will list them in a future post (assuming this post is well received by MJ fans)

Interested in a pilgrimage to sites of his more recent appearances:

• Performed Rock With You as part of the 1980 UNICEF Benefit Concert at Nassau Coliseum in New York
• On Sept 10, 2001 (and three days before) at Madison Square Garden in New York
• United We Stand: What More Can I Give charity concert (for Sept 11 victims) at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC
• Pasadena, California - as part of "American Bandstand 50th.. A Celebration:"
• Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York in 2002, his final appearance in the United States

To the best of my knowledge, Michael Jackson never performed on Broadway, but he did perform with the Jackson 5 at Radio City Music Hall.

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.

Sites on the Web that like TripCart

We figured that if a website was serious enough to recommend TripCart, they probably have other good links, so we decided to share them with our readers.

Mashable has written about us in the past, now they put us on a list of 100+ More Ways to Organize Your Life. Personally, we feel traveling is more exciting then organizing, but if you are going on a trip - a little organization can certainly help.

Thrillist gave us a real compliment by describing us as having an obsessive, type-A and a father figure type persona. We accept the compliment and agree that's what you need to plan a trip. And, yes, we are a group of  obsessive developers and managers. Asylum concurs and has a few hints of their own.

Smart Honeymoon seems to have a different view of TripCart. I guess they have a different audience.

Finally, for the Google mashup crowd - Google Maps Mania likes us, too.

When will he stop?

Donald Trump and Steven Carl (a caterer) are proposing a restaurant/banquet hall to develop at Jones Beach. Diane Yatauro, Nassau County’s presiding officer backs Trump in this fiasco, so that’s another strong point for Trump and Co.

Newsday quotes Trump: "As a New Yorker with an eye on historical significance, I am pleased to be a part of the history of Jones Beach."

It’s not that I’m against Trump or against building a nice banquet hall on Jones Beach, it’s this particular model which I find distasteful and gaudy.

Thanx newsday.com

I guess I’m not the only one who feels that way. The Newsday article continues: “In addition to surprise over the dimensions of Trump's moniker, "it doesn't look like the materials that we outlined or have agreed to."”

And the defense?: "This is solely, 100-percent, down to the square foot, what was approved earlier this year in the blueprints -- they just haven't seen the 3-D visualization of it," insisted Michael Russo, who has managed the project for the architectural firm of Hawkins Webb Jaeger.

Other ridiculous monstrosities in the area bearing the Trump family name include:

1. The Trump International Hotel and Tower Fitness Center and Spa, New York City
2. Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City
3. Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, Atlantic City
4. Trump Marina Hotel Casino, Atlantic City
5. Trump Hotel Casino, Gary, Indiana (ok, this one is a bit out of town)

Maybe I’m just jealous of rich people. That’s come up before, hasn’t it?

Elliot Spitzer - a TripCart user?

Seems like not all our users are just planning family vacations on TripCart. Some user (who grabbed the user ID - "elliot spitzer") posted a detailed plan of his trip to DC. He called the trip "client-9" and it seems pretty accurate and amusing. It's actually a pretty good trip - some shopping (two women to support) some relevant historical sites (White House Oval Office, Tidal Basin) and even a visit to see where they print  money.

Related travel guides: • Texas family vacation ideas • Hudson Valley Spa • Lake George family vacation ideas • Lake George, New York spa • Long Island cruises • Luxury hotels Chicago Illinois

Picture of NYC on September 11

(thanks larimdame)

Fall Foliage in the Hudson Valley, New York

The Aspen Hollow Truck Trail in Lewis County, New York.

(thanks again Lida Rose)

related travel guide: Fall Foliage in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, New York

Related posts: Amazing UFO Clouds • Crossing Over the Great Divide • Over The River: Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Colorado • Oregonalicious • 18th Annual National Geographic Photo Contest Winners • Perfect Panoramas • Tens in Vermont

Related travel guides: Fall Foliage in Woodstock, Cooperstown, Catskills and Hudson Valley • Most Scenic Drives around New York and the Hudson Valley

Recommended Highlights in the region: Hunter Mountain Ski Resort - New York • Windham Mountain Ski Resort - New York • Belleayre Mountain Ski Area - Highmount, New York

Run Your Pants Off in New York City

We got an interesting email today from City Running Tours in New York City.  They just opened a great new service where you can see the city as you jog by-

Whether traveling on business or pleasure to the Big Apple, NYC RUN is a new organization that is offering individual or group guided running tours of NYC so that visitors can see a new side of the city and get some healthy exercise at the same time. From the beautiful greenery of the parks, to spectacular views off the water, to the challenging inclines of the bridges, NYC RUN offers 20 different routes all year long and for every level of runner.

Tours seem to range from just mile and a half to over 13 miles.  What a great way to stay in shape the next time you're in the Big Apple.

New York City Taxi Upgrade

New York City taxis are getting an upgrade. Soon all 13,000 yellow cabs in NYC will be equipped with PIM's (Personal Information Monitors).  The machines will show local information, entertainment, the taxi's current location and advertising, it will also accept credit cards.  For some reason, the machine runs  an astounding $7,400 and there are rumors of a possible strike.  The Taxi & Limousine Commission says the system is better for everyone because it will allow for cashless transactions.  Expect to see these systems in yellow cabs throughout the city by the end of the summer.

(thanks gothamist)

Related posts: Hitchsters - It's for After you Airtroduce Yourself, - Calculating Cab Fare

Related travel guides: getting around in New York City, - Fun things to do in Manhattan and NYC

AIA and Google Earth Team Up

The AIA has been going all out this year to celebrate their 150th anniversary, we told you about their new website a few weeks ago. Now they've gotten together with Google Earth and rendered the top 150 architectural wonders in 3D using Google's Sketchup program. You can download the KML feed here so that they all pop-up in your Google Earth.

Related Travel Guide topics: Empire State Building - Architecture in Manhattan and New York City - Architecture in Mid Atlantic

(thanks pulse 2.0)

New York Taxis of the Future

New York's ubiquitous yellow taxi cabs are due for an upgrade.  If you happen to be in New York between now and the 15th you can wander over to the New York International Auto Show for the Taxi 07 Exhibit which features some of the newest innovations for New Yorker's favorite form of transportation.  This exhibit is also in celebration of the yellow taxi's 100th year in New York.  The easy to read graphics on the side of the cab pictured above will be seen on all of the taxis in the city by the end of the year.

Related posts: New Street Furniture in New York • New York City Taxi Upgrade • Stalking the News in NYC • America's 150 Favorite Pieces of Architecture

Woody Allen - Why New York is Great: The People

Woody Allen, one of the poster children of New York made a wonderful clip shortly following 9/11 for the "Concert for New York."  The clip runs a mere 3 minutes but does a wonderful job of capturing the amazing characters that only exist in New York.  Our favorite line: "I got mugged.  I was coming home from the opera.  They took my gas mask, my flashlight, all my Cipro."  Doesn't the anthrax/herpes guy look like the head of the Others on Lost?

Update: It appears the powers that be have removed this video from YouTube.

(thanks marty finestone)

Related posts: LA to NYC? 2 Hours Tops • Bill Sullivan on the New York Metro • 9/11 • NYC by Night • Multi-tasking Your Ipod in NYC • Road-Trippin' from LA to NYC in 4 Minutes Flat • New York City Taxi Upgrade • Top 10 Cities For One Night Stands (and Singles) • Run Your Pants Off in New York City • Stalking the News in NYC

Related travel guides: Getting to Manhattan - New York City • Getting around in New York City • Fun things to do in Manhattan and NYC • Architecture in Manhattan and New York City • Arts and entertainment in New York City • Culture in New York City

Bill Sullivan on the New York Metro

Artist Bill Sullivan has taken a unique series of photos of people passing through the turnstiles of the New York city subway.  The series includes 48 different shots that are haunting and fascinating at the same time.  Bill describes his thought process-

I developed a situation so that various subjects could be defined by the constraints of exactly the same mechanical apparatus. The scenario consisted of someone passing through a subway turnstile. At the moment that the subjects passed through the turnstile, unknown to them, I took their picture stationed at a distance of eleven feet. I stood there turning pages of a magazine observing subjects out of the corner of my eye, waiting for only the moment when they pushed the turnstile bar to release the shutter.

(thanks kottke)

Ron Mueck at the Brooklyn Museum of Art

The amazing work of hyperrealist Ron Meuck is currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.  Mueck is an Australian-born artist who is the child of toy makers and used to make props for movies. These pieces are all visually stunning and well worth a look if you're lucky enough to be in the area.  If you can't see them up close and personal here is a link to more of his work and a few behind-the-scenes shots of his installations being moved into place at the Brooklyn Museum.

Related posts: LEGO Art at Discovery Center Museum • Annie and the Bigwigs in Brooklyn • Free Museums • Lovely Prices for Tours for Two at the MOMA • Woody Allen - Why New York is Great: The People • Run Your Pants Off in New York City • Stirring up the Pot in South Brooklyn • Menus for Me and You • Tomorrow is Museum Day • Hit the Museums for Free on September 30th

Related travel guides: New York City • Aarts and entertainment in New York City • Romantic vacations in New York City • Luxury vacations in New York City • Kids and family vacations in New York City

worstplacestotakeadump.com

Everyday the internet inspires us with new websites we didn't even know we needed.  If you're traveling to New York anytime soon and are worried about needing to go while you're away from your digs, now someone's (finally) started rating the city's potty's.  And to think we might have dropped the kids off somewhere in NYC without consulting the web first.  Luckily, it's all under control now, here's a bit about worstplacetotakeadump.com's impetus-

George Costanza famously claimed to know of all the best toilets in the city; I know the worst. This photoblog documents the breadth of my knowledge, and features a Google Maps mashup to guide eccentric tourists. Please take the time to vote for the bathrooms you would least like to take your dumps in, and the losingest toilet will be honored accordingly. I would love to hear from anyone who has documented more of New York’s best lavatorial phenomena, as I am only one man; I can only attempt to void my bowels in so many terrible places. All chosen submissions will, of course, receive due attribution.

(thanks uniquedaily)

Related posts: Run Your Pants Off in New York City • Watching NYC on Web Cams • Write on Your City • 9/11 • NYC by Night • Multi-tasking Your Ipod in NYC

Related travel guides: Getting to Manhattan •  Getting around in New York City • Fun things to do in Manhattan and NYC • Best New York City Travel Guide

Multi-tasking Your Ipod in NYC

Zurnet has two great products and we couldn't decide which one to tell you about so we'll just talk about both of them. It's hard not to get excited about something to do with subways and Zurnet allows you to check out all of NYC's subway maps straight from the photo section of your Ipod - there's over 300 images showing each line, connection, stop and express train. But they don't just stop there - once you're out of the tubes and back above ground you can find a cheap place to hit the sauce with Zdrinks, times and prices of happy hours are included. The service is currently only available in New York.

(thanks digg)

Annie and the Bigwigs in Brooklyn

Annie Leibovitz has decided to put on a retrospective of sorts at the Brooklyn Museum. "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005," comprises over 200 pictures - it's a combination of pictures with deep personal significance for Leibovitz (including pictures of her friends and family) as well as shots of some of the most famous people on the planet (Brad Pitt, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp, etc.). You can check out the pictures until January, then the exhibition will be moving to San Diego and Washington before heading overseas.

Related posts: Annie Leibovitz Last Weekend in San Diego • Ron Mueck at the Brooklyn Museum of Art • LEGO Art at Discovery Center Museum • Free Museums • Lovely Prices for Tours for Two at the MOMA • Run Your Pants Off in New York City • Stirring up the Pot in South Brooklyn

Related travel guides: New York City travel guide • Aarts and entertainment in New York City • Romantic vacations in New York City • Luxury vacations in New York City • Kids and family vacations in New York City

LA to NYC? 2 Hours Tops

Lockheed Martin's got a new super sleek 12-seater executive jet that's costing a mere $2.5 billion to develop out in Nevada.  When all is said and done, the QSST (quiet supersonic travel) jet will rock the 4,600-mile trip from Los Angeles to New York City in under two hours flat.  Finally, you won't have to worry about your video ipod running out of battery before your flight lands.  They're hoping to have diplomats and high-level business execs hopping on board by 2013.  Not to be outdone, Nevada rival Aerion has their own acronym and prototype, the SSBJ (supersonic business jet).  Apparently there's a market for up to 300 of these jets - though the biggest problem (other than the estimated $80 million dollar price tag) is finding engines and figuring out a way to reduce the impact of the sonic boom.

(via wired)

Related posts: Road-Trippin' from LA to NYC in 4 Minutes • FlyLite for the Business Traveler • Rate An Airport Near You • Frequent Flyer Mileage Runners

Related travel guides: Getting to New York City • Fun Things to Do in Manhattan • Places to Visit in Los Angeles, California • Factory Tours in Nevada

Take the A Train

TripCart's still has its fetish for subways and we came across the two brave souls, Matt Green and Don Badaczewski, who apparently are subway endurance riders and will be trying today to beat the record for the fastest time riding the entire New York subway system. They're starting off at dawn around Rockaway Park and ending at Pelham Bay Park. For a complete list of their route check out their myspace site.

Apparently, Herman Rinke was the first one to attempt this feat in 1940 shortly before the different subway lines in NYC were unified. Some MIT students in the 60's built a computer program to help them devise the most efficient route after seeing a note on a subway map where someone had claimed to ride all the lines for a single subway token. Though the Guiness Book of World Records allows riders to exit the subway system, purists like Green and Bodaczewski believe it's imperative to remain underground, "We have a strong philosophical opposition to this set of rules.  If you're going to spend that much time in pursuit of such a ridiculous and pointless goal, why cut corners?  Plus, what kind of babes are going to dig guys who take the easy way out of such a manly challenge?" The current record holders are Mike Falsetta and Salvatore Babones who rode the rails in 25 hours and 11 minutes in January 1998. According to the Metro, Falsetta and Babones are willing to "come out of retirement and issue a challenge" should their record be broken. Green and Badaczewski have got 26 lines, 660 miles of track and 468 stations to hit up before they're through. You can call their voice mail (718-407-4697) to track their progress - at 8:30 this morning they were running "right on schedule" on the L between Canarsie and 14th Street.

(thanks gothamist)